michael.h.chen@yale.edu (Zenki)


No Title!
by Michael Chen
michael.h.chen@yale.edu


This is the most recent improvement as of March 24, and quite
possibly the last time I'll ever look at this story.  I have
proofread this story, with the aid of Andrew Huang, who is more
of a literary master than I, and hopefully, I have squashed all
stupid spelling mistakes and grammatical mistakes.  However, I
include as a disclaimer that I know there are grammatical
mistakes in here, it's just that I can't really find them.  If
you do find them, email the correction to me.

These sixty or so pages of unending text are the result of two
months of work, and I guess it's finally time that I released it
to the public.

Note: I know I have gotten rid of idiocies such as "beated" or
"bursted" so don't send me any email, as I know errors of this
kind do not exist.


Author's Introduction:
      This story is a Ranma fanfic, of a more serious degree.
This story explores Nabiki, and her life...  This story has no
violence, I've attempted to keep down the jokes, it has elements
of love, as well some darker thoughts.  But over all, this can be
viewed as a positive fanfic.  Heh, no one successfully commits
suicide, or gets put on deathrow, or gets murdered.  That stuff
is just too heavy for me to write.


Chapter 1 -- Paradox

      As the sun peeked over the horizon, its path of light
slowly crawled across Nerima.  Where ever, the light landed, life
started from the soothing darkness called sleep.  People yawned,
woke up, and got ready for their lives at work and school.  At
the Tendo Dojo, life was as normal as usual; well, normal in
their own sense.  Ranma and Genma had finished their sparring,
which as always resulted in a dunking in the pond.

      Akane's cute face poked out of the door.  "Hey Ranma, Mr.
Saotome!  Do any of you want to try my omelettes?"

      Ranma-chan was currently in a giant human-panda knot in the
pond.  Both were tossing and turning, splashing water.  After a
great amount of struggle, Ranma managed to subdue his father, and
was sitting on the panda's stomach.

      "What did you say!  Eat your breakfast!  You must think I
hate myself if I am going to eat..."  Hearing Ranma's brutish
comment, Akane felt crushed.  Her pride, her omelettes, her labor
and love that went into those omelettes, and her fiancee still
had the audacity to deny her work.  As anger, welled within
Akane, her blue aura began to flicker.

      "Ranma! You dumb idiot!  I spent a lot of time and energy,
and this is the thanks I get!"  Akane was crying and shouting at
the same time.  She rushed Ranma with her right hand cocked back,
ready to give Ranma an impression that he would never forget.
But as she approached, she just gave up, and fell to her knees,
crying silently.

      Ranma took a long look at Akane, and gulped.  He really
liked Akane, secretly, and he really felt bad for driving Akane
to tears.  `Akane, I must have really pushed you this time...'
Ranma's feelings started to churn, and instinctively, he mentally
sighed.  `Ok Akane, I'm going to hate myself for this...'  Ranma
bent down, and placed his arm around Akane's shoulders.  Trying
to comfort her, he whispered into her ear.

      "I'd be happy to try your omelet."  Akane's head jerked
up, her eyes showing a glint of joy.

      "Really!"  Ranma nodded, and walked into the house with
Akane, his hand never leaving her.  Nabiki, meanwhile, was
observing this, and couldn't help but feel jealous for Akane.
Sure, her little sister, who really never liked men, had Ranma,
and a bunch of admirers at school.  Her little sister, who Kuno
had the hots for.  Trying to clear her mind of her thoughts, she
reached over to her desk and picked up her ledger.

      `Who owes me money today...'  Her eyes jumped when she saw
that three people didn't pay back yesterday.  Her eyes
mischievous, she picked up her telephone, ready to make their
lives a living hell.  Before she dialed the telephone number, she
paused, her face clearly in doubt.  `Is this worth it?  Ruining
someone's life over a lost bet...'  One part of her mind was
shouting `No'  The other was saying `Who cares? It's a matter of
money.  If you let this slide, then no one else will pay.'
Grimacing at the reality, Nabiki proceeded to dial.

* * *

      Ranma gingerly held his chopsticks, as Akane presented her
omelet.  Genma and Soun were captivated by Ranma's braveness.
Holding his breath, Ranma grabbed a piece of omelet and placed it
in his mouth..  He automatically started to chew.  He felt the
rubbery chunk of tasteless food resist his efforts.  After a few
seconds of hard chewing, the small sample of food disintegrated
in his mouth becoming a flood of awful tastes.  Ranma struggled
to suppress his gag instinct, and forced himself to swallow the
vile mixture of food.  Nabiki, who had finished her job, was
leaning of the stairs handrail, watching Ranma.  In fact the
entire household had stopped to watch.  Soun was about to place a
stone on the go board.  Kasumi was focusing her pretty eyes on
Ranma.  Genma was staring at his son.

      Akane looked at Ranma expectantly.  "So?  How was it?"
Ranma struggled hard to maintain his composure.  His face had
acquired a slight greenish hue, and Ranma could feel his stomach
churning in rebellion against that vile piece of food.  Ranma
felt an urge to complain really loudly, but he controlled himself
before he could spontaneously react.  He managed a very very weak
smile.

      His voice was barely a whisper.  "It was fine.  Excuse me,
I'm going to the bathroom..."  With that, he dashed up the
stairs, brushing past Nabiki.  He skidded around the corner, and
the bathroom door slammed shut behind him.  Genma felt most sorry
for Ranma..

      "Soun, my son must feel the weight of the entire world on
his shoulders now..."  Soun gravely looked at Genma.

      "No Genma, he must feel the weight of the entire world on
his stomach...."  Akane, who was surprised that Ranma did not
make an effort to embarrass her, turned to Genma and Soun, and
smiled.  `Wow! This dish must be an improvement on my usual
cooking.'  In reality, it tasted barely better than her other
dishes.

      "Father, Mr. Saotome, do you want to try?"  Both Genma and
Soun broke into a mixture of babbling as they rattled off excuses
to avoid the food.

      Ranma was leaning over the toilet, as his body let loose
bile from his mouth for the third time.  His head was dizzy.  He
felt nauseated.  Meanwhile, Nabiki was looking in from the door,
her face clearly sad, as she thought.  `I wonder what would happen
if I was engaged to Ranma...'  Ranma slowly wiped his mouth with
the back of his hand, and coughed up the vile acidic taste from
the back of his throat.  After staggering to the sink, he
swallowed a gallon of water to flush his mouth of the aftertaste.
As an after thought, he looked in the mirror, and immediately saw
Nabiki, who had let her emotions cloud her normally ultra-cool
face.  She was obviously sad and lost in thought.  He did a
double take.

      "Nabiki!  What's wrong?"  `God, such sadness.'  Nabiki
immediately blinked out of her dreams and thoughts, and blushed
intensely, her thoughts prodding her to tell Ranma...  She opened
her mouth, but immediately afterwards closed it.  Ranma dried his
hands hastily on his shirt, and placed his hands on her shoulder.

      "What's wrong?"  He bent down a little to take a good look
at Nabiki's eyes.  Fearing the possibility of her eyes betraying
her, Nabiki fighting hard, calmed herself, and walked off,
leaving Ranma behind.

      "Sorry to bother you, there's nothing wrong with me."
`Except that my life has no worth.'  Nabiki's eyes were on the
verge of tears, but she was glad that her back was to Ranma.

      Later, in the schoolyard before classes started, Nabiki was
approached by a distraught boy.  His hair was wild, and his cheek
showed the reddish outline of a girl's hand, evidence of an
argument with a girlfriend.  His hair was tangled, and his
uniform scuffed.

      "How could you!"  The boy was plain mad.  Nabiki turned her
emotionless face to him.  She struggled to keep her emotions in
check when she saw Ranma perched on the school gate staring at
her.  She looked down immediately her emotions beginning to
bubble, when she suddenly remembered the boy in front of her.
Almost effortlessly, Nabiki calmed her emotions down to the level
of an ice cube.

      "You knew the consequences.  I merely followed my standard
operating procedures.  You did not pay up, so I am obligated to
make your life difficult.  Excuse me, I have some business to
attend to."  Nabiki turned her head, and walked off.  The boy
started to foam when heard her words, and murder and other
terribly evil thoughts began to percolate through his mind.  He
felt the muscles in his arm tighten and loosen, his breathing
increase.  He stalked behind Nabiki.  She tried to ignore him.

      "But you had to tell my girlfriend..." Nabiki gave no
response and walked off.  Standing he shook his fist violently at
Nabiki's back, as if making a silent threat.  He turned around,
his thoughts already drafting a simple, yet effective revenge.
The boy evilly grinned and cracked his knuckles.  `Nabiki is
definitely going to have a meeting with me and my associates
after school.'  He gestured to two other boys they quietly
gathered at the gate.

      The original boy spoke, "Wanna get even with Nabiki after
school?  I'm gonna beat her senseless for ruining my relationship
with my girlfriend.  You guys going to help?"  The two other boys
smiled, each of them also victims of Nabiki's blackmail, and
nodded.  Ranma, who was still perched on the gate, heard
everything.

      "Over my dead body," he muttered.  As the boys walked off,
he silently leaped off the gate, and ran to class.  He vowed
silently to keep a close eye on Nabiki for the entire day.

      At lunch, Ranma found it easy to guard Nabiki.  Akane had
decided to sit with Nabiki to discuss some things, and Ranma
decided to tag along.  Although he found the discussion to be
rather mundane and boring, he found it weird that at various
times, Nabiki would get this dreamy look whenever their eyes
connected.  Nabiki and Akane would be in a dumb conversation when
Nabiki would look up at Ranma to see him.  Almost immediately,
her normally stone cold expression would melt a little.
Amazingly, Akane didn't notice, or she didn't react at all to
Nabiki's strangeness.  After school, Akane decided to go to the
library with some friends.  Ranma breathed a sigh of relief, when
he didn't have to explain to Akane why he didn't want to walk
home with her.  He silently ran after Nabiki who had already
left.

      Nabiki calmly walked home alone, for everyone at school had
a fear of her.  To ignore her loneliness, she focused on a couple
new money making schemes that she thought of in class and Ranma.
She slowly turned around the corner and walked into three boys
who were waiting for her.  They quickly grabbed Nabiki,
restrained her, and covered her mouth.  Nabiki struggled hard, as
the boys dragged her into a deserted alley to do their dirty
work.

      Ranma burst around the corner to find nothing.  `Where's
Nabiki?'  His eyes slowly scanned the quiet street, and he was
about to give up, when he heard a muffled scream.  He ran towards
the source of that scream, an alley.

      "This is for my girlfriend."  The boy landed a fist into
Nabiki's stomach.  The two other boys were holding her arms,
laughing.  Nabiki felt her stomach explode with pain, and tried
to scream.  A boy muffled it with his hand.  Still defiant, she
viciously bit the boy's hand.  Holding his injured hand, he
retaliated by elbowing Nabiki hard in the chest, knocking the
wind out of her.  The other boy kicked her hard in the shins.

      "That was for distributing pictures of me and my second
girlfriend to everyone in Nerima."  Nabiki felt the world around
her grow dimmer.  Unaccustomed to this level of abuse, she found
herself wishing unconsciousness to end her suffering.  Her
breathing was ragged, and judging the faces of her attackers, she
knew that these boys really wanted to beat her.  The first boy
looked at her evilly.

      "You know, I could be a hero for doing this.  Cause
everyone at school hates you, you emotionless scumbag."  Those
words struck Nabiki's heart, and she felt tears well in her eyes
because she knew what he said was completely true.  The boy
brought his arm back, and put all of his energy into his final
punch.  Nabiki saw the fist approach her face, when another hand
dashed in, and stopped it.

      "I don't think so."  Nabiki's eyes looked up and say Ranma
standing there, his face filled with rage and disgust.  His eyes
softened as her saw Nabiki, but her coughing and wheezing forced
Ranma beyond mad to insane.  His eyes glowed red, and he hissed
through his teeth.

      "How dare you pick on a woman!"  Demonstrating his prowess,
he simultaneously elbowed the person next to him, and kicked the
boy who was going to punch Nabiki in the stomach.  He smiled with
satisfaction when the boy in front of him folded up, and the
person to his right dropped to the floor unconscious.  The last
boy took off down the alley, screaming like a girl.  Ranma spied
a short heavy piece of wood on the ground.  He picked it up and
launched it at the fleeing boy.

      The piece struck him on the back of the head with just
enough force to knock him out.  The fleeing person fell onto the
floor and skidded a couple more feet.  Ranma paused for a second,
allowing his emotions to calm down.  He then turned to Nabiki,
and saw her bruised body.

      "Nabiki, are you alright?"  Nabiki collapsed into Ranma's
arms.  Sighing, Ranma picked up Nabiki and ran off towards Dr.
Tofu.  While Nabiki struggled to maintain consciousness, her mind
echoed, `Everyone hates me...'

* * *

      Nabiki was on an examination table wearing only her bra
and pants.  Ranma was waiting outside.  Dr. Tofu was probing her
stomach carefully.

      "Does it hurt here?"  Dr. Tofu placed his cool, steady
hands on the black mark on Nabiki's stomach.  Suddenly, her
stomach muscles contracted, and her eyes began to water.  Dr.
Tofu, noting the effect, started to massage the bruise.  After a
minute, Nabiki was surprised to find that the bruise almost
disappeared.  Dr. Tofu, satisfied with the result, continued
examining Nabiki, he found another bruise on one of Nabiki's
breasts, right above her bra.  He carefully massaged it, and
after another minute or so, the black mark had almost faded.  He
continuously worked on Nabiki, finding bruises and massaging them
to speed the healing.

      Unknown, to Nabiki, Dr. Tofu, besides simply massaging
her bruises, was also looking at her in general with concern.  He
could feel a certain sadness within Nabiki, but he did not want
to mention it.  He made a note to tell Ranma privately.  His
hand accidentally brushed past Nabiki's leg, and she winced.

      Carefully rolling up the pants, his eyes landed on the 4
inch bruise on her shin.  With careful probing, he realized the
bruise was more than superficial.  It went all the way down to
the bone in Nabiki's slim and smooth leg.

      "Nabiki, you have a bruise on your shin bone.  You won't be
able to walk today.  Tomorrow, you will be able to walk...But
this is going to be painful."  Nabiki nodded. With that said, he
began to massage Nabiki's leg.  Nabiki felt pain fire straight up
her leg, and she started to cry.  Ranma burst into the room.

      "What's happening?"  He didn't know whether to be angry or
sorry.  He walked right in and saw Nabiki only wearing a bra.  He
blushed and quickly turned his head away.  `God she's pretty, I
wonder why no guys chase her.... Oh, never mind.'

      Dr. Tofu looked at Ranma, and smiled.  "Oh nothing bad,
just a few bruises, that's all.  Nabiki will probably need you to
help her walk home."  Dr. Tofu pressed the bruise again.  Ranma
looked up in time to see Nabiki inhale very deeply...  Ranma
turned redder.  Whipping his head away, he forced himself out of
the room.

      "Sure, I'll be right outside."  As soon as he closed the
door, he breathed a sigh of relief.  `I wonder what Akane looks
like...'  His mind began to fill with thoughts and images of
Akane.  Moments later, Dr. Tofu opened to door, and cheerfully
stuck his head out.

      "Ranma, all done.  A couple minor bruises, but she
shouldn't be able to walk for the rest of the day.  By the way, I
need to tell you something..."  Dr. Tofu tried to continue, but
he was cut off by the ringing telephone.  Dr. Tofu walked off,
and answered.

      "Hello, who is this? .....Kasumi!"  Ranma could hear Dr.
Tofu bouncing off the wall in the other room.  Sighing, he
thought to himself: `I guess he'll be nuts for awhile...'  Taking
a glance at the clock. Ranma peeked into the room to see if
Nabiki was ready.  Instead, he saw Nabiki dressing herself.
Averting his eyes, he spoke.

      "I guess I get to carry you home today."  Nabiki looked at
Ranma, surprised that he was staring at the corner, and then she
realized that she was only wearing a bra.  She quickly put on her
shirt.

      "It's ok to watch now."  Ranma looked up, and breathed a
sigh of relief.  He smiled and joked.

      "I was worried that if I saw you like that too much, I'd
forget about Akane..."  His voice trailed off, and his smile
became slightly more intense as he thought about Akane.  Nabiki,
tried to be emotionless.  `So Ranma really loves Akane...Damn it,
why can't I get a decent guy like Ranma...'  Ranma walked over.
And kneeled in front of Nabiki, facing away from her.

      "Ok, you can put your hands around my neck."  Nabiki did
so, and Ranma carefully stood up, his arms carefully holding
Nabiki's legs.  She felt the muscles in Ranma's back ripple as
his effortlessly lifted her.  He than ran out of the door, with
Nabiki on his back.  He left the clinic and continued down the
street, some how managing to run without jarring Nabiki about.
Nabiki sighed and rested her head on Ranma's shoulder.  She could
hear Ranma inhale sharply...

      Her thoughts began to wander, as buildings whizzed past her.
She thought of what her attackers said. Her mood began to drop.
She thought of her lack of boyfriends.  Her thoughts turned
blacker.  She thought about Ranma, and she couldn't help but
smile a little.  But her smile was destroyed when she thought
about Akane, and how much Ranma really loved her.  Fighting back
her tears, she held Ranma tighter.  Again she felt a sharp breath
from Ranma.

      After they reached home, Kasumi was the first to react.

      "What happened?  Nabiki are you ok?  Why is Ranma carrying
you?"  Nabiki fought the urge to dump all of her feelings to
Kasumi, and she coldly responded.

      "Nothing, a few boys tried to attack me.  Ranma managed to
chase them off."  Everyone was shocked.  Nabiki had treated an
obviously brutal attack as if it were something that could be
brushed off.  Kasumi, feeling something, thought `Something must
wrong with Nabiki.'  Nabiki slowly walked up the stairs.  She
locked the door behind her

      Nabiki sat at her desk, having no heart to look at her
ledger.  She looked about her depressing room.  Nothing there
truly interested her.  She looked at her desk, and found nothing
captivating.  Her world was completely wrong.  `I should be
having fun.  I have plenty of money.  I have an easy life....But
I don't have fun.  I don't have a boyfriend.  Everyone's scared
on me....'  Leaning to her side, she unlocked a drawer and took
out her secret stash of alcohol.

      Pouring herself a glass, she quickly swallowed it.  After
four glasses, she was still, if not more depressed.  Quickly
hiding her alcohol, she sat in her chair, lost in a drunken
stupor.  Her mind was just completely mellowed out and she could
only about one thing.  After an hour or so of contemplation, she
grabbed a sheet of paper, and wrote on it, slightly shakily since
the alcohol was still affecting her.

  `Dear Kasumi, Soun, Akane, and Ranma.
I thank you for being nice to me.  I've realized that in my
pursuit of money, I have alienated everyone else.  The incident
today has made me realize this.  Since my life has truly been
unfun and useless, I've been rethinking my plans, and I'd prefer
it this way.

By the way, Ranma, I kind of love you...'

      Her hands shaking, she somehow unlocked her cabinet, and
poured herself a few more drinks.  By now, Nabiki was completely
drunk, and she started to cry.  Looking through a haze, she
managed to read the time, and she limped over to the bed and
cried herself to sleep, knowing what she planned to do tomorrow.
After a few minutes, her mind gradually fell asleep, her face
still twisted with emotions, her dreams no more comforting...

      Nabiki woke up to the sound of Kasumi knocking on the
door.

      "Nabiki, are you all right.  If you don't wake up, you
might be late for school.  Akane and Ranma are already leaving."
Still feeling the effects of alcohol in her head, Nabiki moaned
and struggled out of bed, surprised that her bruises were no
longer painful.  Her mind was still in a state of semidrunk
blankness.  She quickly packed her bags, and ran out.

      "Sorry Kasumi, I'm going now."  Nabiki ran out of the door,
leaving Kasumi behind.  As Nabiki passed Kasumi, Kasumi's
beautiful nose wrinkled in distaste as she smelled alcohol.  She
closed the bedroom door, and got to the stairs when she realized
that the smell came from Nabiki.  Her mind quickly deduced that
Nabiki had been drinking.  She rushed into Nabiki's room, and
started to desperately search.  Her eyes landed on the only
locked drawer in Nabiki's desk.

      Focusing hard, Kasumi, recalling to the days when her
father taught her martial arts,  punched the drawer, completely
destroying the lock.  She pulled open the drawer, shocked to find
a couple bottles of beer and sake...  Her eye's landed on the
desk, and she picked up the sheet of paper that Nabiki had
written last night.  As she read it, her eyes opened wide.  Her
face filled with fear and terror.  She glanced at the clock,
realizing that school had already started, she ran out the door
and dashed down the stairs.

      Kasumi zoomed down the stairs, the sound of her light feet
rapidly tapping down. Soun and Genma were immediately interrupted
from their usual game of go.  Soun looked up and was surprised to
see Kasumi overreacting.  Soun's mind began to wheel about,
thinking about Kasumi.

      Stammering he asked.  "Kasumi, what's wrong?"  Kasumi
quickly took off her apron, almost ripping it, and ran out the
door, uncharacteristically exhibiting her athletic abilities.
Soun tried to run after Kasumi, but found that he couldn't keep
pace.  Kasumi rushed off towards the high school, leaving a cloud
of dust behind her.

      She quickly ran down the streets, everyone surprised to see
Kasumi Tendo without a cheerful face.  She turned around the
corner and saw the gates to the school.  Entering the yard, she
looked intently around.  No sign of anyone or Nabiki..  Her mind
began to wander crazily.  `Where's Nabiki.  Where's Nabiki.'  She
started to take deeper breaths to calm her mind, as she thought
about Nabiki.  Some how, her sixth sense began to tingle, and she
looked up and gasped.

      Nabiki was standing on the edge of the roof of the school.


Chapter 2 -- Recovery

      Kasumi shouted, "Nabiki!"

* * *

      Ranma yawned for the umpteenth time, greatly annoying Miss
Hinako.  And just as before, she screamed "Ranma! Don't fall
asleep!" and winged his head with an accurately thrown eraser,
which produced a white misty cloud of chalk dust centered on
Ranma's head.  Despite the constant noise pollution and minor
physical distractions, Ranma managed to find comfort in his cold,
hard, wooden desk and fell asleep.  Just as his consciousness
began to fade away, Ranma heard a scream outside.  Ranma
recognized that voice.  His eyes opened, he snapped up straight
in his chair, and he jumped out of his desk.  In his haste, he
tipped over his desk, scattering books, papers, pencils, and pens
all over the floor.  Running to a window, he stared outside, and
was surprised to see Kasumi, panting like crazy, looking upwards.

      "Kasumi! What's wrong?"  Ranma shouted back.

      "Ranma!  Get back to your seat!"  He felt his teacher grab
him roughly by the waist in an attempt to pull him back to his
desk.

      "Get off!" hissed Ranma, who didn't take his eyes off of
Kasumi.  He pushed Ms. Hinako away.

      Kasumi saw Ranma from his window, and her hopeless despair
turned into plain despair.  "Ranma! Go to the roof!"  Ranma
nodded, and whipping his body around, Ranma came face to face
with his teacher, who had during the meantime, drained the entire
front row of energy.  Not wanting to be the next victim, Ranma
ran out the door, and dashed towards the stairs like a mad man.
He quickly zoomed up three flights of stairs, his legs covering
two steps at a time.  Finally, in 20 seconds, he reached the door
to the roof, and was surprised to find it locked.  Desperate, he
kicked the door, which promptly blasted into splinters.  He
rushed out on to the roof, and saw Nabiki standing on the edge,
drinking a bottle of beer.

      The sight of Nabiki getting really drunk was enough to make
Ranma wonder.  `So she does have emotions after all!  But first
thing's first.'  "Nabiki!  Come here right now!" Ranma's voice
was tight, yet filled with worry.  Nabiki turned around, her face
filled with many emotions.  Ranma  was completely shocked by her
condition.  `My god, her emotions are just loose!  I have to get
her away from the edge...'  Nabiki drank another mouthful of
beer.  She brought the shaded dark bottle to her lips, and tilted
her head back, allowing gravity to pull her only comfort into her
mouth.  However, Nabiki was already seriously drunk, and her poor
coordination caused some beer to fizzle out of her mouth.  Wiping
away a tear, Nabiki looked at Ranma with drunken eyes.

      She tried to speak to Ranma, but her train of thought was
completely disjoined and her speech was extremely slurred.  Ranma
could not make out a single syllable that Nabiki said.  She kept
on talking, "You know the world is a harsh place...Akane is so
lucky....Everyone loves her, including you...But no one likes me
at all!"  Her body slightly stiffened, and she finished the
bottle.  Without hesitation, she dropped the bottle allowing to
shatter on the floor, and grabbed another one from her pocket.
She squinted at Ranma, her vision becoming completely hazy.  Her
inhibitions lost, her emotions just spilled out.

      "Ranma! You know, I kind of fell in love with you this past
year...But I'm sorry you can't return the love..."  Her voice was
still slurred, and Ranma had no clue what she had just said.  She
took another long drink from the new bottle.  Finally, Nabiki
felt the rush of alcohol hit her head, and she began to black
out.  Before loosing her consciousness, she willed her body to
pitch forward.  Nabiki fell downwards from the edge.  Kasumi
screamed, and fell to her knees.  Ranma gasped, and he ran after
her, just as Miss Hinako and the entire class burst onto the
roof.  Akane also gasped when she saw Nabiki fall over the edge.
She screamed when Ranma jumped after Nabiki, the only thought in
his head: `I have five stories to save her from the ground...'

      As Ranma fell, he kicked his feet against the side of the
building, propelling himself towards the ground.  Stories passed
him like a blur.  The fifth story, the fourth story.  With each
succeeding story, he gradually approached Nabiki's falling body.
The third story, just an arm-length away...  Finally at the
second story he finally caught up to Nabiki, and quickly grabbed
her.  Holding her next to his body from behind, his mind reeled
with shock.  `Shit! Less than ten feet to the ground!'  Quickly
thinking Ranma decided to protect Nabiki at all costs, Ranma spun
his body around, preparing to use himself as a shield for Nabiki.
Immediately after he completed his move, Ranma slammed into the
concrete surface, and bounced once.

      Ranma felt pain as he crashed into the ground, and he felt
his body bounce once.  Almost immediately after his body came to
a rest, he felt every bone in his back out of place.  He
shoulders were not in the right place.  His entire back felt
broken.  Unable to bear his agony, his consciousness began to
fade.  His eyes landed on Nabiki who woke up from her drunken
stupor.

      "I haven't died yet!"  Nabiki did not realize that Ranma
had saved her.  But she already had a backup prepared.  With some
difficulty, she managed to pull a knife from her purse, and
prepared to cut her throat.

      Ranma's eyes widened when he saw Nabiki's resolve to die.
Using sheer willpower, Ranma ignored the terrible sensations that
fired up and down his entire back as he slowly sat up.  His hand
intercepted the knife, and he whispered to Nabiki.

      "Please don't."  Nabiki looked back and finally realized
that Ranma had saved her from the drop.  Ranma, his willpower
completely spent and exhausted, fell back, unconscious.  Kasumi
finally ran up and threw the knife away.  While crying like
crazy, she hugged Nabiki.

      "Nabiki! You're alright!  Thank god.  Why? Why would you
want to kill yourself?"  Nabiki cried uncontrollably, and mumbled
a few incoherent phrases.  As Kasumi held her, her hand let the
half-empty bottle of beer slide out her grip and drop onto the
ground.  It smashed on impact, the amber vile-smelling liquid
foaming over the ground.

      "Kasumi!"  Everyone, except for Ranma turned around, and
saw Soun panting like crazy.  His eyes were filled with worry,
which disappeared when he saw Kasumi hugging Nabiki....  Kasumi
carefully left Nabiki, who quickly bent down to Ranma's side.

      Kasumi burst into tears and hugged Soun, and whispered into
his ear.  "Nabiki tried to kill herself..."  Soun took this hard,
and burst into tears, naturally assuming it was his fault for
driving Nabiki to this.  He walked over to Nabiki and hugged her
constantly crying out, "I'm sorry, Nabiki, I'm sorry I never
really paid attention to you..."  After a few iterations, he
stopped.  While smoothing back Nabiki's wild hair, he looked into
her drunken eyes, and he smelled the alcohol on her breath.  He
still hugged her.

      "Ranma...." Miss Hinako had finally got down the stairs,
and essentially the whole school came running after her.  Akane
was crying crazy as she ran over to Ranma's inert form.  She
smiled hopefully as Ranma regained consciousness, and his hand
instinctively touched Akane's hand.  Meanwhile, Miss Hinako's
attention was torn away from Ranma's supine form to Mr. Tendo.
Her childish face filled with joy.

      "Mr. Tendo!"  She giggled helplessly, as she ran up to him.
However, Soun ignored her, and was paying complete attention to
Nabiki.  He held Nabiki tight, tears streaming from his face.

      After Nabiki's near death experience, Soun still demanded
that Nabiki see Dr. Tofu, even though Nabiki was not apparently
hurt.  The whole family minus Kasumi walked into Dr. Tofu's
clinic.  Kasumi had decided to run back home to finish her
chores, prepare dinner, and look after Genma, who was probably
already starving.

      Dr. Tofu quickly made a visual examination of Nabiki.
"Amazing, five stories and not a scratch.  Hmmm... There should
be no major problems, but there maybe a headache and minor nausea
later today from the alcohol."  Dr. Tofu left her side and looked
at Ranma, and his face became more serious.  His fingers
sensitively probing Ranma's back, feeling the occasional
dislocated joint...  At first, his face was deep in thought as he
carefully probed, worried about broken bones and damaged organs.
His skilled fingers slowly went over Ranma's back.  After a brief
moment of contemplation, Dr. Tofu's serious face relaxed.  `Thank
god Ranma doesn't have any serious damage.  Amazing, a normal
person would have died from that fall.'

      Smiling, Dr. Tofu proceeded to give Ranma a painful back
job. "Not a problem.." Ranma screamed when his left shoulder was
placed back into it's joint.  "just a few..."  Again Ranma gasped
in pain as his other shoulder was set into proper location.
"dislocations."  Ranma felt a series of painful pops down the
length of his back, as Dr. Tofu realigned his vertebrae
one-by-one.  Everyone stared at the scene, their jaws slack,
their stomachs churning as they witnessed this gruesome set of
events.  With every pop of a joint being relocated, everyone
flinched.  Of course, Ranma did not flinch.  He basically yelled
straight through.

      "Ow! Dr. Tofu! What are you trying to do, kill me?"  Ranma
shouted as he twitched on the examination table.  Dr. Tofu, who
was too focused to hear the comment, continued the chiropractic
treatment.  After a couple minutes of bone-popping-scream-evoking
fun, Dr. Tofu stopped.  Tired and really pissed off, Ranma felt
the urge to say something nasty to Dr. Tofu, but held his comment
back when he realized that the intense pain was gone.

      "Gosh! Thanks!  Good as new!"  Ranma leaped off the bed,
surprising everyone.  In moments, everyone left the clinic.
Ranma was walking with Akane.  Behind them, Soun, his eyes still
streaming tears, was walking with Nabiki.  Unknown to all of
them, during the entire trip home, Nabiki stared at Ranma and
Akane, dreaming a huge barrage of bombs and heavy artillery
breaking the intangible bond between Ranma and Akane.  She almost
broke into a smile, when she watched Ranma and Akane playing one
of their games, in her mind she tried to superimpose herself over
Akane and tried to imagine the emotions.  She couldn't.

      Finally, they reached the Dojo, where Kasumi had already
prepared a fabulous meal.  During the dinner, everything seemed
normal, except for the fact that everyone was paying more
attention to Nabiki.  Every time Nabiki asked for a dish, a wall
of hands would arc over the table to the desired dish.  What
amazed Nabiki the most was Ranma's ability to fight with his
father, while passing dishes....

      "Hey Dad!  Out of my rice bowl!"  Ranma smacked his father
with his chopsticks and started a minor skirmish, when he heard
Nabiki.

      "Could someone pass the pork?"  Ranma's hand zoomed to the
plate, and he skillfully passed the dish, as he kicked his
father's hand, which was inching closer to the meat in Ranma's
bowl.  His father silently raging, suddenly grabbed Ranma's bowl,
prepared to pour the contents of the bowl into his bowl, which
was missing.  Ranma grabbed it while he passed the salt to
Nabiki.

      Kasumi, suddenly on the spur of the moment, stood up to
make an announcement in the middle of the typical dining chaos at
the Tendo household.  Since she rarely made any announcements,
everyone was surprised and stopped what ever they were doing.
Genma's hand was inches away from Ranma's bowl, holding
chopsticks that held a piece of beef.  Ranma was in the middle of
grabbing Genma's bowl.  Nabiki was about to eat a piece of fish.
Soun had a cup of tea touching his lips...

      "Ahem," Kasumi turned slightly red at all the attention
given to her, "In the interests of helping Nabiki through her
crisis, I've arranged an appointment with a reputable
psychologist for Nabiki tomorrow."  Soun's face turned ashen, his
hand holding the tea started to shake.  His eyes widened, as his
mind started to contemplate the cost involved.

      His voice was hoarse, as he started his usual line.
"Kasumi, how can we afford this?  I don't have a regular job, and
we have two free-loaders with stomachs...."  He stopped when
Kasumi held up her hand.

      "Don't worry.  The money is coming from my savings."  Soun
sat there effectively silenced.  But then he realized the
sacrifice that Kasumi was making, and he began to feel ashamed
that his daughter had to make another.  His eyes started to
water, and he burst into more tears.

      "No, no Kasumi, you've already sacrificed too much for this
family.  Your father will pay...."  Kasumi gave her father a
smile, and she turned to Nabiki.  "The appointment is set for
tomorrow, nine o'clock."

* * *

      "Ok, Miss Tendo, why did you try to commit suicide?"  Nabiki
was sitting across from the psychologist, who was chewing a pen.
In her mind, she played the many events that led to her
depression.  Suddenly her mind focused on Ranma, and she sat in
comfortable chair thinking about him.

      "Um, excuse me.  Ms. Tendo."  The psychologist made a quick
note in his notebook.  "Ahem! Ms. Tendo."  Nabiki was still lost
in thought, her mind constantly whirling around Ranma.  `Maybe he
really likes me, he did save me twice.  He did use his body...Oh
what a body...'  Her mind drifts back to the scene at Dr. Tofu's
where Ranma was having his back realigned....

      "Ms. Tendo!"  The psychologist leaned over his desk and
tapped her hand gently.  The momentary contact caused Nabiki to
shake out of her daydream.  She looked around as her eyes
refocused, and she remembered that she was in the psychologist's
office.  The psychologist calmly pushed his glasses, which were
sliding down, back into place.

      "What?  What did you ask?  Sorry I wasn't paying
attention."  Nabiki's mind began reprimand herself.  `Nabiki how
could you!  Letting your emotions take control.'  The
psychologist wrote a brief note on his pad: "Not attentive,
patient is distracted by something."

      "Why did you try to commit suicide?"

      Unwilling to talk about herself, Nabiki shrugged.  "I don't
know."  Nabiki fought hard to remain as emotionless as possible,
but she found that the psychologist's constant watching, his
calm, friendly, tell-me-everything-about-it voice, made it hard.
She gave in, and her emotions got control again.  Basically,
Nabiki spilled everything.  Well, almost everything.

      "I felt my life wasn't fun...I mean I always thought that
after I had enough money, I could get my fun....But recently, I
was attacked and I realized that many people hated me because I
appear to be some sort of mercenary.....I think that's it."  The
psychologist nodded, making a couple notes "Isolated, Emotionally
Restricted." on the pad next to him.  Thinking for a moment, he
looked at Nabiki.  The psychologist's sixth sense was tingling.
Instinctively, he felt that there was something more...

      "Nabiki, is that all?  I kind of feel that there's
something holding you're back..."  He smiled, encouraging Nabiki
to be more open.  Nabiki sighed realizing the psychologist was
correct. "Yeah," she said dejectedly, "I want to have a
boyfriend, but I can't."  Her face twisted into anger.  Noting
the sudden emotional change in Nabiki, the psychologist made
another note: "Patient needs to lose inhibitions, potentially
emotionally unstable."

      Nabiki just let released her built up anger.  "It's just
not fair.  My younger sister, who really doesn't like boys,
always has these men fawning over her, and I have no one."  She
didn't notice that her hands had balled up into tight fists, and
her nails were digging into her palms.  She paused, trying to
control her emotions, she couldn't.  The psychologist saw the
emotions playing across her face and body.  Another note,
"Patient does not know how to release anger and stress."

      The psychologist thought for a moment.  `This poor girl
needs to have a new goal, perhaps a person she's interested in.'
"Is there someone in particular that you like?"  He asked.

      "Yes."  Nabiki's face lit up as soon as she thought about
Ranma.  She thought about his face, his personality, his
kindness.  She even silently laughed about his curse..  `I was so
stupid to reject him because of his curse!'  But her face grew
cold when she thought about Akane.

      "Why don't you tell him your feelings?"  Nabiki thought
whether to reveal that the guy she liked was with her younger
sister.  She decided not to.

      "Well, he's kind of dating another girl right now, and a lot
of girls like him."  The psychologist smiled when she said that.

      "There's an easy solution to this.  Why don't you try to
chase him for awhile.  It'll definitely make your life more
interesting.  It'll be good for you, and he could help you cope
with anger and emotions.  Besides, it could become a new hobby
for you."  Nabiki couldn't believe her ears.  The psychologist
had basically suggested that she should actively pursue
Ranma.....

      She kind of smiled at the thought, and for once her life
seemed to become interesting.  She started to imagine what life
would be like with Ranma.

      "Thank you."  She quickly left the office, to get home
before Ranma go there.  Her face was uncharacteristically happy
as she ran back home, her short hair fluttered in the wind.

      Nabiki burst in the door, panting hard from her run, and
smiled at Kasumi.  "Hi, Kasumi."  Kasumi immediately dropped her
cooking and came up to Nabiki.  `My god! I've never seen Nabiki
smile so easily.  Something must be on her mind...'  Taking
Nabiki's school bag, Kasumi smiled back at Nabiki.

      "Nabiki, so how was the doctor today?  Is there something I
can do for you today?"  Nabiki was surprised at Kasumi's reaction
to her coming home.  `Gosh, I think Kasumi is really worried
about me...'  Soun burst into the room.

      "How's my daughter!"  He tightly embraced her, driving her
breath out.  `Why all of the attention all of the sudden?' Nabiki
thought.  Her thoughts were broken by the dramatic entrance of an
angry Akane, followed by Ranma, who was trying very hard to
appease Akane.

      "Akane, I didn't kiss Kodachi!  She came out of nowhere,
drugged me, tied me up, and kissed me!"  His hands gestured
towards himself.  Ranma was trying as always to explain the
situation.

      "Ranma! You didn't fight back.  You didn't resist her kiss."
Akane, as always, was overreacting.

      "But, how could I react?  I was drugged and tied up in a
ribbon!" Ranma followed Akane upstairs, both still were yelling
at each other.  Nabiki sighed as she saw Ranma, a dreamy look
overtook her face.  Kasumi noticed the look.  Kasumi watched
Nabiki's eyes follow Ranma across the room and up the stairs.
Kasumi thought `Something's fishy here, I'd better ask Nabiki
later...'

* * *

      "Nabiki, I take it that you like Ranma?"  Kasumi was
standing in Nabiki's doorway, and Nabiki was at her desk doing
her homework.  Moments ago, Nabiki was leaning back in her chair,
watching Ranma, like some forbidden cookie in the cookie jar,
practicing outside.  Unknown to Nabiki, Kasumi had sneaked
quietly up the stairs, down the hall, and had watched Nabiki for
a minute before making her entrance.  Nabiki imperceptibly froze,
her hand jerked slightly while she pretended that she was
practicing her English.

      "Kasumi, you really think that I'd like such a poor person!"
Nabiki feigned disinterest.  However, deep in Nabiki's mind she
found herself drawn to Ranma... and her eyes began to glaze over
as she... `No, I must stop thinking about Ranma all of the time!'
Nabiki, amazingly, prevented herself from daydreaming again.
Kasumi, not satisfied with Nabiki's answer, decided to give
Nabiki the piercing eyes look.  Nabiki blanched as her older
sister stared at her, the eyes seeming to pierce and look into
her soul.

      "Really Nabiki, you should tell me the truth.  I saw your
face when you saw Ranma.  It was like your face had turned from
ice to water instantly."  Nabiki couldn't control herself, but
she blushed, a telltale sign.  Kasumi sighed, rather loudly, her
mind not understanding her sister at all.

      "I really like Ranma....Please don't tell anyone.."  Nabiki
said, her eyes giving Kasumi the "puppy-dog" look.  Kasumi
blinked, and couldn't help but feel sorry for Nabiki.  Her mind
spun at this request.  Kasumi looked at Nabiki's eyes, and
decided to go against her common sense.  `I really should go and
tell Akane and Ranma, but Nabiki really needs my support now..."
Nabiki smiled weakly.  Kasumi backed down.

      "Ok, your secret is safe with me."  Nabiki smiled a lot
stronger and held Kasumi's hands.  Kasumi reacted to Nabiki's
sudden show of emotion.  Uncomfortable with the new Nabiki,
Kasumi left the room, her mind thinking furiously about the
implications.  `Akane's not going to like this.  I should tell
Akane, but I made that promise.' Meanwhile, Nabiki sighed,
ignored her homework, and leaned back in her chair to watch Ranma
and his father, who were sparring as usual in the backyard.

      "Ha.  Old man, getting slow?"  Ranma threw his father into
the pond.  He went down and the surface of the pond became calm
after a minute.  Ranma, stood there fidgeting, when he realized
that something could have happened....  He panicked and ran to
the edge of the pool to look in.  While he leaned over the edge
of the pond, a paw shot out of the calm mirror surface, grabbed
Ranma by his shoulder, and pulled him in.  A panda, launched out
of the pool in a large jump, a spray of water behind it, and the
pond's surface wavered from the falling water droplets.  A very
wet and indignant Ranma-chan came up spluttering.

      "How dare you!"  His womanly voice carried anger.  Genma
signed back.

      "Ha ha, see you didn't pay attention..."  Genma launched
himself at Ranma.  Nabiki's mind wandered back to the episodes of
the previous day when Ranma rescued her...  His hands which had
held her body protectively.  His desperation to save her life.
The risk he took to save her...

      As night fell and the stars began to twinkle in their
eternal fireworks show, Nabiki had finished her work and was
trying to relax by reading a manga at her desk.  But her mind was
not into the story.  Her mind was completely focused on Ranma.
She dreamed about kissing him.  She dreamed about marrying him...
Reading the manga did not provide relaxation..  After
disinterestedly turning a few pages, she heard a faint rapping at
her window, and saw Ranma hanging upside down from the roof.
Reaching over, Nabiki quietly opened the windows, allowing Ranma
to flip in.  He landed uncomfortably close to Nabiki.

      "Yo, Nabiki!  What's up?  So how are you doing?" Ranma
cheerfully said.  Nabiki was shocked that Ranma actually had an
interest in her.  Slowly, she placed a bookmark in her manga, and
slowly sat on her bed, trying to prolong her private moment with
Ranma.  She was surprised when Ranma sat next to her.

      Nabiki replied, trying to hide her emotions, "No problem,
I'm feeling a lot better.  That psychologist sure knew how to fix
things up."  Ranma looked closely at Nabiki, and felt something
different about her.  She seemed a bit more uncomfortable all of
the sudden and her normal emotionless demeanor was cracking.

      "That's great!"  Nabiki almost cried.  Ranma then sat
closer to Nabiki, when he noticed that Nabiki's eyes had begun to
water up.  He propped his right arm across her shoulders like an
old friend, trying to comfort her.  "Come on what's wrong?  You
know it's unusual for me to see you this sad."  Nabiki felt
Ranma's slim but strong arm slide around her back.  She almost
shuddered at his touch...

      Her emotions completely took over, and she exploded into
tears.  Finding the only convenient source of comfort, Nabiki
buried her face into Ranma's shoulder.  "I don't know...I'm all
of a sudden getting these weird feelings..."  She added mentally,
`And I'm madly in love with you...'  Ranma looked down at Nabiki,
feeling completely sorry for her.  `God, it must be difficult for
her...I guess it's the first time she has ever had her emotions
let loose...'  Ranma turned Nabiki and himself so that they faced
each other, his hands on her shoulders.

      "Well, I think you should try to listen to these feelings
you've been getting, and not try to suppress them..."  Nabiki
managed a teary-smile.  She mentally laughed.  `Ranma is
basically encouraging me to chase him, and he doesn't know that!'
Ranma seeing the smile, decided to leave, to check on Akane.

      "Well, I gotta go.  I'm going to see Akane.  Goodnight."
Ranma goes out the window, his hands reached up to the rafters
outside, and he swung up to the roof leaving Nabiki behind.
Nabiki sighed, her thoughts slightly depressed as she thought of
Ranma and Akane together.  Her thoughts dropped more after she
heard Akane's cheerful giggle from another room.

      Leaving her bed, she sat at her desk, and pulled out a new
notebook.  She opened it and began to brainstorm how to get Ranma
away from Akane.  For four hours straight, she wrote ideas and
ideas and ideas and ideas in the book.  Anything from the bizarre
to the ordinary, all ideas went into that book.  Finally, after
the book was filled, she quickly skimmed through the book.

      On page 40, she stopped.  Her eyes landed a plan that might
work.  Slowly, an old familiar smile creeped across her face, it
was the smile that Nabiki used to have when she thought up of a
money-making scheme.  She reached over into her drawers and
archives, ready to forge the separation of Ranma and Akane.


Chapter 3 -- Reverie

      The blackness of night slowly passed, and finally, the Sun
lazily floated upwards, its golden, warm, essence spilling across
Nerima.  Ranma was outside sparring with his father.  "Hey Pop!
Do you tire when I beat you every day?"  Ranma shouted this as he
launched into a complex offensive, his fists flashing in and out,
while he kicked and executed complicated forms.  Genma furiously
blocked against the onslaught, sweat streaking down his face.  He
did not bother to answer Ranma.  In fact, he never wanted to
admit that his son was better than him, and in desperation, Genma
picked up the pace, launching an offensive of his own...

      Contrasting the battle was brewing in the backyard, Kasumi
was cheerfully preparing a morning feast as Akane, Nabiki, and
Soun sat expectantly waiting for food.  Effortlessly working in
the kitchen, Kasumi finally entered the dining room, her glowing
face rivaling the brilliance of the sun, carrying multitudes of
plates intended for breakfast.  With the grace of a queen, Kasumi
rapidly passed out bowls of rice gruel and chopsticks.  As she
returned to the kitchen to grab more plates, she paused to look
out the window, she noticed that Ranma and Genma were still
fighting in the backyard...

      "Ah, Akane, why don't you call Ranma and Mr. Saotome to
join us in breakfast?"  Akane nodded, carefully balanced her
chopsticks on the rim of the rice bowl, and ran out the door.
"Hey!  Ranma!  Mr. Saotome! Do you want breakfast?"  Her shout
completely destroyed Ranma's concentration, leaving himself quite
vulnerable to his father.  His head turned towards Akane.

      "Sure!  I'll be there after I..."  Ranma never had a chance
to finish his words.  Genma, seizing the moment, punched Ranma.
Ranma flew backwards, his arms flailing wildly as he splashed
into the pool.  Seconds later, a very angry Ranma-chan sloshed
out, soaked completely with cold water.  As he walked out of the
pond, his waterlogged clothing, which stuck to his womanly
figure, dripping water, his shoes squishing with every step, his
beautiful face emanating pure rage.  In fact, his face almost as
red as his hair.  Genma laughed heartily.

      "Ha, Ranma!  What do I always  say about paying attention
and concentrating?"  Ranma muttered an answer and as he passed
Genma, an idea crept into his mind.  With a smile, he made a
quick backwards kick, which caught Genma by surprise, propelling
his father into the pond.  Ranma-chan turned his head around, and
stuck his little pink tongue out.

      "Ha!"  Ranma-chan continued into the house with Akane.  The
first thing he did was to immediately run upstairs, leaving a
trail of water as he went to get a hot shower.  Closing the
bathroom door, and stripping down, Ranma went into the shower,
and turned on the hot water.  Almost instantly, he felt his body
rearrange itself.  His entire body suddenly felt amorphous, and
then finally solidified.  Besides feeling his body change, his
viewpoint went up by about half a head, and his sense of balance
changed.  Grabbing a soap bar, he proceeded to scrub off the
sweat and grim, and after a few minutes, satisfied with his
cleanliness, he turned off the shower, dressed in new clothes,
and returned to breakfast.

      Ranma walked down the stairs swiftly, almost making no
noise, like a cat (*gulp*).  He took his place at the table, and
was dismayed to see his bowl empty.  Before he could think about
attacking Genma, Kasumi, who had foreseen this situation, showed
up with a brand new bowl of rice gruel.  Ranma briefly thanked
Kasumi, and then began to wolf down breakfast.  His chopsticks
flashed as he shoveled mouthfuls of rice into his mouth.  His
hands became a blur as he rapidly grabbed meat, vegetables, and
other foodstuff.  In under four minutes, Ranma completed eating.
After eating the meal, he stopped, and tried to make himself
appear dignified as he carefully, wiped his mouth clean.

      "Akane! I'm ready!  Come on let's go"  Ranma stood in the
doorway, his satchel draped over his shoulder.  His eyes flashed
impatience as he tapped his left foot.  He felt someone push his
shoulder.  He turned around to see Akane, her face half filled
with mirth and half filled with anger.  Ranma almost
instinctively cringed, expecting a well placed fist, leg, or
mallet.  It never came.

      "I was outside for the past few minutes waiting for you!
Come on, or we're going to be late."  Akane grabbed Ranma's hand
and pulled him out the door.  As the couple ran off to school,
Akane leading with Ranma in tow, Ranma couldn't help but notice
Akane.  His eyes, during the entire trip, constantly roamed over
her.  He watched her hair, which fluttered as she ran.  His eyes
picked out every strand of hair as it floated through the air.
His eyes then moved to Akane's smooth milky arm, which was
touching him...  His eyes went up the arm, could almost feel the
warm, silky, firm flesh....

      Captivated, Ranma continued to watch her slim legs, which
steadily went forwards and backwards perpetually, causing an
unearthly ripple on her skirt.  His eyes slowly roamed upwards
paying attention to details.  Her legs... her womanly hips.....
her slim waist.... To Ranma, she had the perfect body....  A
smile slowly appeared on Ranma's face as he thought about Akane.
Beautiful Akane, Akane, her name was good enough to evoke a wide
range of emotions....

      "You hentai! What are you smiling at?"  While Ranma was
smiling, Akane had turned her head backwards to catch a glimpse
of him.  Her expression did not match her harsh words, she too
was smiling, well sort of.  Her lips were, with a great deal of
effort, twisted into a slight smile, almost like a smirk.  Ranma
blushed and looked away.

      "Hmph.  I wasn't watching you...  Thinking that I'm
interested in you?"  Ranma let loose a broad smile.  Akane's
smirk melted into a genuine warm smile, and her head turned
forward, her hair gliding around, catching the sunlight, creating
a pseudo-halo.  Ranma almost sighed as they entered the
schoolyard in the nick of time.  Both Akane and Ranma quickly
crossed the empty yard, whipped open the door, and scrambled
through the empty lobby of the school.  Dashing up the three
flights of stairs, running down the hall, they finally burst into
their classroom and slid into their desks just as the bell rang.
Miss Hinako began to lecture.

* * *

      After an hour of constant lecturing by Miss Hinako, the
continuous, droning, almost soporific words began to take a toll
on Ranma.  His eyelids gradually, imperceptibly at first, drooped
down.  `I must stay awake!'  Ranma shook his head in a hopeless
effort to stay awake.  His eyes momentarily opened wide, but
resumed their destined path to closure.  His mouth involuntarily
let out a quiet yawn.  `God, why does Miss Hinako have to be so
boring.  I need to stay awake.'  Ranma kicked himself gently in
the shin, resulting in a brief moment of being awake.

      Determined to stay awake, he turned his attention from Miss
Hinako who was on the tips of her toes, struggling to write on
the chalkboard, to somewhere else.  His head turned left, and his
eyes landed on a classmate sitting next to him, picking his nose.
`Ewww! That's gross.  There's no way I'm going to watch that for
another hour.'  Ranma turned his head back towards the board,
where Miss Hinako had given up, and was standing on a chair.
Bored out of his mind, Ranma decided to swing his head to the
right, and he stopped as soon as Akane entered his field of
vision.  Again Ranma found himself captivated.  `I gotta stop
doing this.'  He turned his head away, and forced himself to
stare mindlessly at the blackboard.

      It made no difference.  Subconsciously, some external force
caused Ranma's head to slowly crank back to the right.  He
mentally sighed as he looked at Akane.  For some particular
reason, Ranma found Akane completely beautiful, even though she
wasn't purposely trying to be winsome...  He looked at her cheek,
her hand fluidly making notes.  Her...

      "Ranma! Pay attention!"  A well aimed eraser knocked Ranma
back into reality.  Ranma blinked the chalk dust out of his eyes,
and he swung his head back to the chalkboard.

      Akane's head whirled back to catch a glimpse of Ranma
turning his head away from her towards the front of the room.
Akane's emotions started to crank.  `That hentai! Always dreaming
about me....  Maybe he really loves me...'  A smile slowly broke
through onto Akane's face as she continued to take notes.

* * *

      Later at lunch, Ranma sat calmly on a bench outside across
from Akane and Nabiki, eating his meal in silence.  As he
thoughtlessly chewed, he suddenly noticed that Nabiki had been
staring at him while she was talking with Akane.  `Why is Nabiki
staring at me?'  Ranma briefly smiled back, and decided to focus
his attention of Akane.  He watched Akane, randomly nodding as if
he were really listening to the conversation.  Ranma's eyes were
drawn to Akane's face.  Her prim lips that were begging to Ranma,
"Kiss me!"...

      Nabiki was not a happy camper.  Her joy had increased when
Ranma smiled at her, but as soon as his eyes left her to rivet
themselves to Akane's face, Nabiki started to feel really
jealous.  Her eyes squeezed ever so slightly as she visualized
the invisible connections between Ranma and Akane.  `Hmph!  Akane
hogging Ranma, if I could I would....'  Nabiki stopped herself,
surprised that she could freely think such evil thoughts.
Before, she never would have considered making Akane's life
difficult...  And now, Nabiki was about to enjoy ripping Ranma
away from Akane.  Shocked, Nabiki sat there, suddenly silent,
her mind was debating what she should do.  `How come I didn't
think about this last night...'

      Nabiki looked at Ranma again, finding herself drawn to his
manly features.  She mentally sighed, dreaming about having Ranma
as her fiancee...  She turned to Akane, and looked at her younger
sister, the "baby" in the family.  Her conscience began to gnaw
at her.  `I want to have Ranma, but I do not want to hurt
Akane...'  Torn between two seemingly conflicting thoughts, she
continued sitting there in silence.  Then suddenly some how, her
desires and emotions managed to suppress her conscience...
Nabiki stood up.

      "Well, lunch period's almost over, and I have to talk to
some friends now, if you two would excuse me..."  Ranma nodded,
and Akane replied, "Sure, what ever you want," with a smile that
made Nabiki hurt inside.  Nabiki slowly walked away, `I kind of
feel sorry for Akane...'  She walked away from the benches, and
walked around to the front of the school, by the flagpole, one of
her usual places of business.  She sauntered up, seeing two
people standing by the pole.

      The first person spoke nervously.  "Ok Nabiki, what do you
want us to do?"  He looked about nervously, as Nabiki walked up
to him.  Nabiki took off her bag, and took out two photo albums.
Handing one to each person, Nabiki explained the situation.

      "I want you," Nabiki pointed at the first person, "to show
these photographs around the men tomorrow at school.  Make sure
Ranma sees this."  Nabiki turned to the other person, a girl.  "I
want you to show this around school to all of the girls tomorrow.
And Akane needs to see this."

      Nabiki then spoke to all of them.  "Not a peep to anyone,
and these two books did not come from me, understand?"  Nabiki
stood their, her hands crossed in front of her chest, her pose
clearly threatening.  Both paled, and nodded vigorously.  "Good,
I don't want to resort to ruining your reputations..."  With that
said, Nabiki walked away, feeling rather guilty, but her guilt
was overshadowed by her love for Ranma.

* * *

      Ranma was back in class, and he found Miss Hinako's
lecture so dry that, sleeping on the rings of his binder actually
provided comfort.  He sat his desk, slouched over his desk, and
he snored as he slept blissfully, ignoring any attempts to wake
him up.  The rest of the school day slowly cranked by, and as
soon as the dismissal bell rang, everyone, including Ranma,
dashed out of the room, almost running into Nabiki.

      "Whoa, Nabiki!  What are you doing here?"  Ranma was total
shocked to see Nabiki still in the school.  "You're usually
outside doing business!"  Nabiki uncharacteristically smiled at
Ranma.

      "No, doctor's orders, I've taken an extended leave of
absence..."  Ranma stood there petrified.  `I'd never think
Nabiki would ever give up her "business."'  Akane joined Ranma
and Nabiki.  "Come on, let's walk home."

      During the brief walk home, one thing struck Akane as odd:
Nabiki was actually laughing and smiling.  Strangely, Nabiki's
good mood extended through the rest of the day.  Before dinner,
she actually helped Kasumi carry the dishes.  During dinner, she
wasn't detached from the others, and made an effort to join in on
the conversation.  Even after dinner, she helped Kasumi clean up
after the mess Ranma and Genma made.  Ranma was clearly impressed
by Nabiki's improvement.

      Later that night, while Nabiki sat at her desk, reading a
manga.  She heard a rap at the window.  Quickly opening the
window, she watched Ranma effortlessly land on the floor.  Nabiki
sat on the edge of her bed, and motioned Ranma to sit next to
her.  Ranma without hesitation sat down next to her.

      "Hi, Nabiki!  I came to really tell you my feelings about
your recent changes..."  Nabiki's mind silently ranted: 'Please
tell me you love me, please tell me you love me....'  Ranma
continued as Nabiki stared at him intently.  "I think that you
are definitely becoming a nice person and a good friend."  As if
to punctuate his point, Ranma hugged her.  Nabiki's emotions went
down a little, but there still remained a glimmer of hope.  `Darn
it, he doesn't love me, but he hugged me...that's something I can
work on.'

      Nabiki responded, "Well, I feel a lot better about
myself...."  Ranma smiled back, and he patted her back..  "Glad
to hear that, well, I'm going to go to sleep."  As Ranma leapt
out of the window, Nabiki's conscience started to bother her
again: `Oh, Ranma I hope you will forgive me later...'

      Nabiki plopped back onto her soft comfortable bed, her eyes
half-closed about to sleep, when she heard giggling from Akane's
room.  Sitting straight up, she heard a window in Akane's room
swing open.  Very carefully, Nabiki creeped to her window to see
Ranma helping Akane out of her window.  Akane climbed onto
Ranma's back, and he jumped down to the ground, landing silently.
Both sneaked off hand in hand.  Nabiki felt her curiosity piqued.
She quickly grabbed a coat, quietly tiptoed down the stairs, out
the door, and ran after Ranma and Akane.

      After what seemed likes hours upon hours of quietly
following the couple, Nabiki finally recognized that they had
wandered into the park, right in front of the lake, which
shimmered with an unnatural light from the full Moon.  Ranma and
Akane took a seat at a bench, and both settled down, to enjoy the
beauty of the night scene.  Nabiki crouched behind a bush,
keeping quiet and giving no clues of her presence.  Slowly the
two got closer and closer together, and Akane quickly whispered
something into Ranma's ear, which quickly evoked a chuckle and a
giggle.

      Nabiki sat there like an eternity, trying to think what
Akane whispered.  Her thoughts were interrupted, by Ranma.  He
stood up deliberately, and Akane followed suit.  Slowly, as if
unsure, both embrace each other, and kissed.  Not like the kiss
in the school play.  Not like a casual kiss...  Ranma and Akane
had a serious kiss, passionate, vibrant, sensual.  It took Nabiki
all her energy to prevent herself from gasping in surprise.  `So
they really are nice in private!'  Ranma and Akane disengaged
from the kiss, and both laughed nervously.

      Ranma was first to speak.  "I'll never forget that..."
Akane nodded, and she leaned her head onto Ranma's shoulder...
Nabiki, almost disgusted, quietly stalks off, leaving Ranma and
Akane alone.  However, in the back of her mind, she was
fascinated by the kiss, and she imagined herself with Ranma,
alone.  A few minutes, Nabiki finally reached home.  She quietly
unlocked the door, opened it, and locked behind her.  She then
tiptoed silently up the stairs, and she went to her room.
Locking the door behind her, she sat at her desk, lost in
thought.

      Ranma and Akane walked home, hand in hand.  Both elated
with joy as they returned minutes after Nabiki ran off.  Akane
whispered to Ranma, "I wish this night would never end..."  Ranma
nodded, and he held Akane close to him.  As they slowly turned
around the corner, they reached the dojo, and were surprised by
the light coming from Nabiki's room.

      Akane gasped quietly, "I hope no one found out!"  Ranma
was also nervous.  "Yeah, when our parents find out, we'll
probably married by the end of this week!"

      Akane whispers to Ranma, "After you take me back to my
room, could you check on Nabiki?"  Ranma gave Akane an
exasperated look.  "I think Nabiki's ok...  But, I'll check on
her afterwards..."  Ranma easily lifted Akane in his arms, and he
leaped from the ground, through the open window, and landed in
Akane's room.  Akane quickly took off her coat, and went to bed.
Ranma instinctively gave Akane a quick kiss, and he leaped out.
Akane breathed a sigh of contentment, and she instantly fell
asleep.

      Nabiki sat at her desk, staring at the wall in front of
her, lost in thought.  `Lucky Akane!'  She constantly replayed
the kiss over and over.  Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted
by a quiet knock on her window.  She unlocked and opened her
window, and Ranma leaped in.  He smiles at her.

      "Still awake?"  Nabiki nodded.  Her mind was trying to
comprehend why Ranma was visiting her so late.  She tried to
think, but Ranma's proximity to her, caused her emotions to take
over.  Nabiki sat close to Ranma, and looked into his eyes.  She
slightly leaned backwards, her hands propping her back up.
Unknown to her, by leaning back, she slightly stretched her
pajamas, accenting her womanly assets.

      "Ranma, do you think I'm beautiful?"  Ranma looked at her,
shocked from her question.  His jaw hanged open, and he couldn't
instantly respond, because he didn't expect the question and
Nabiki's body was just too distracting.  Forcing himself to
think, Ranma gathered his senses and managed to respond after a
slight delay.

      "Yes... why?"  Nabiki continuing her stare, which caused
Ranma to become uncomfortable...  "Because I want to know.  Do
you think it would be easy for me to get a boyfriend?"  Ranma
coughed quietly at this, his mind unsure where this conversation
was going.  `Damn, either I'm too tired, or something's weird.  I
think I need to sleep.'  He tried to get up, and begins to talk.

      "Wow's it's pretty late, I'd better..."  He was silenced
by a kiss.  Nabiki grabbed his head, and she brought her lips to
his.  Her body made contact with his, and his eyes opened wide as
he felt her bosom caress his body.  Ranma panicked, frozen like a
statue.  Then he felt Nabiki's tongue penetrate his lips, and in
shock, he fell back onto the bed, pulling Nabiki along with him.
He struggled to break free of the kiss, but Nabiki managed to
stay on.  Well, moments later, Nabiki suddenly pulled away from
Ranma, embarrassed.

      Nabiki blushed an intense red, and whispered.  "I'm sorry,
I guess I get carried away...I don't know what came over me..."
Her hand started to nervously comb back her hair...

      Ranma, still petrified, was still lying on the bed, his
eyes locked open in a stare, his brain locked in a state of
stasis and shock.  After a moment, he managed to sit up and
stammer out an apology.  "Ah. um. It's not your fault. ah...I'm
sorry.  um...I shouldn't have come here at this time." In
general, Ranma was at a loss for words, the events that just
occurred had completely short circuited his thoughts.  Some how,
Nabiki, who was never interesting to him, managed to overload his
senses, something, he always thought, only Akane could do.  As he
thought about the kiss, the closeness of their bodies, Ranma
almost shuddered.  `No!  I must not forget Akane!'  His mind
started to attempt to purge the experience.  Confused, and not
knowing what to say, Ranma turned around and leaped out the
window.  As soon as he was gone, Nabiki fell back into her bed, a
smile on her face, savoring that kiss.  `So that's what it feels
like to be kissed...'


Chapter 4 -- Conflict

      Daylight finally turned back the darkness, and another
typical day in Nerima began again. Ranma and Akane ran into the
schoolyard to be swamped by a huge horde of people.  Akane was
swarmed by girls, and Ranma was swarmed by boys.  Ranma was
angry.

      "What's the meaning of this?"  He shouted into the throng
of people.  The crowd of boys around him began to murmur.  "Hmph,
figures he doesn't know."  "Damn, and I thought he was the
playboy..."  "Akane, who would of thought she..."  Finally a boy
shoved a black book at Ranma.  "Hey!  Look at this."  Expecting
nothing to happen, Ranma casually opened the book... and fell to
his knees.  Furiously, he flipped through the entire book, each
succeeding page infuriating him beyond normal limits.  His mind
filled with unexplainable rage.  `How could she!  How could she!
I offered her my love, and she just purposely goes to destroy
me!'  He dropped the book, it's pages turning in the wind,
revealing photographs of Akane kissing other boys, Ryoga, Kuno,
and a lot others.  Ranma had the look of a broken man, his eyes
streamed tears.  `She betrayed me!'

      Meanwhile, Akane was stuck in the middle of a crowd of
girls.  Her ears picked up bits and pieces of conversation.
"Does she know?"  "Oh, Ranma's gonna get it when she finds out."
"I really feel sorry for her."  A book was shoved at her, and
looking around, she decided to open it.  One look at the
photographs of Ranma kissing Shampoo, Ukyou..., various other
classmates was enough.  She screamed in anger.  Her calm face
broke into a picture of Hell itself.

      "Ranma!" She screamed, and she was surprised to see Ranma
already marching to her.  He was also evidently angry at her.  To
be more accurate, he was half way between angry and depressed.
She saw how stiffly Ranma approached, his face red, his eyes red
from tears.  Ranma stopped about two yards away from Akane.
Akane instantly walked up to him, and gave him a hard punch.
Ranma, not expecting the punch, felt his chin go numb from the
impact, and the taste of blood entered his mouth.  `How could
she!  She betrayed me!'  Enraged even further, Ranma spat blood
right in front of Akane...

      "Akane! How could you?  I thought I loved you..."  Ranma
shouted as his eyes began to flood with tears.  His energy
drained, he whispered "I trusted you..."  Ranma burst into tears,
and was led off by a friend who tried to comfort him.  His friend
looked back at Akane and gave her a mean stare.  Akane was stood
still, surprised at Ranma's sudden out burst, he had never talked
back to her before.

      For the rest of the day, Ranma was completely depressed.
His mind, still in shock, was trying to will himself to another
parallel dimension where these problems didn't exist.  Classes
became such a bore, that Ranma slept the entire morning away, and
he felt that life was not interesting any more.  Lunch was
unbearable, and Ranma ate with his friends, all of whom tried to
cheer him up, but he stayed as depressed as ever.  To him, ever
since he opened that book, the entire world had been torn
asunder.

      Likewise, Akane didn't have an easy time.  During the entire
day, she fought the urge to burst into tears.  She couldn't
concentrate in class, and she tried to forget the entire issue,
but she couldn't.  She couldn't believe that Ranma would explode
at her, ever.  Her mind constantly replayed Ranma's anguished
voice: "I thought I loved you..."  his slouched figure, his eyes
filled with pain.  Some how, some where in the back of her mind,
a little voice spoke.  `Ranma would never betray you...'  Her
mind instantly recalled the photographs, Ranma kissing Ukyou,
Shampoo, Kodachi, and her blood began to boil.  `Hmph! What a
lecher!  And just when we were beginning to warm up...  Maybe
this is some terrible nightmare...'  During the entire morning,
Akane constantly stole glances at Ranma, who was obviously trying
to avoid looking at her.

      Her fears were finally verified at lunchtime.  Ranma was
not sitting at the usual bench waiting for her.  Alone, she was
rejoined by her friends who all tried to comfort her.  Saying
phrases such as "Ranma's such an insensitive clod, I always
wonder why you put up with him....." or "If I were you, I'd kill
Ranma..." or "You deserve someone better than him..."  These
phrases were counterproductive, and further shoved the stake that
had split her heart.  She burst into tears, her mind thinking
about the previous night.  One of her more observant friends,
Chiaki, had been pondering about the "coincidence" that Ranma and
Akane had simultaneously accused each other of infidelity.

      "Umm, Akane, why don't we look at it from Ranma's point of
view.  My boyfriend said he saw a book filled with photos of you
playing around with other boys..."  Akane suddenly stiffened, her
mind reeling from the obvious:  Ranma thought that she was
unfaithful to him...Her heart basically stopped beating for a
moment, and she felt the urge to go apologize to Ranma, but her
pride prevented her.  `Why should I apologize for something I
didn't do...'  Akane then remembered the punch she gave Ranma...
`Oh!  Why do I always react without thinking?'

      Ranma sat alone at the lunch bench, his mind so angered by
the events that his sense of rationality was completely skewed.
`How will I cope, I love Akane, and she purposely has fun with
others.  Damn you, Akane.  Damn all the women who make my life
insufferable.  If I had a mind to I would....'  Ranma stopped,
his mind telling him that this was some dumb result of his
emotional instability that will not help at all.  However,
Ranma's emotions were controlling him, and on the spur of the
moment, Ranma finally made his decision: he vowed that he would
always stay a bachelor, and that women only got in the way of his
freedom.  `I shall never love any woman, as long as I live...'
He stood up from his friends, his mind made up, and left school.
`I can't stand being in class with Akane anymore...'  He quickly
jogged out of the schoolyard, heading to some private place where
he could think.

      Akane was surprised that Ranma had disappeared after lunch,
his chair was empty.  All the boys in the class seemed to take
this in stride, as if they had known that Ranma had left.  Miss
Hinako wasn't taking it lightly, her childish voice dripped with
anger.  "Where's Ranma?  How dare he cut my class?  I will have
words with the principal, and I'll have to discipline him later.
Does anyone know where he went?"  She went to a person in the
first row, and standing on his desk, grabbed his collar.  "Do you
know?"  Well, after she terrorized a few other students, she
finally calmed down enough to start teaching.  Akane mentally
sighed, and fought back her tears and emotions.

* * *

      Nabiki had never seen her sister so devastated in her whole
life.  Almost immediately, Nabiki felt her conscience stab her
heart with a jagged dagger.  Almost coming to tears herself, she
managed to calm herself by thinking about Ranma.  As she walked
home with Akane, she constantly spoke soothing words to Akane,
and allowed Akane to find support in her.

      "Akane, come on.  What's wrong?  You can tell me..."
Nabiki slung her arm around Akane's shoulders and gave her a
tight squeeze.  Akane still sobbing uncontrollable stammered a
jumbled response...

      "It's that stupid Ranma, he betrayed me..."  Akane
couldn't continue, her body shaking with each sob.  Nabiki
shushed her, and tried to comfort her...

      "I love him, and he rejected me!"  Akane shouted out to the
world.  Nabiki continued holding Akane, guiding her home.  Akane
continued, "But I don't blame him.... I really hurt him this
time..."  Akane continued sobbing, and she was still shaken when
she reached home.  Nabiki again felt a twist of the dagger in her
heart.

      Eventually, the sisters reached the dojo.  As they entered,
a silence washed over them.  Feeling something amiss, they both
wandered around until Kasumi cheerfully poked her head out of the
kitchen.  "Oh hi, you two!  How come Ranma came home early?  I
hope nothing wrong happened in school.  It's not like him to ever
abandon you Akane..."  Kasumi's cheerful face quickly turned into
a face of concern, as she watched Akane's calm demeanor
disintegrate into sadness, crying, and tears within seconds.
Akane then ran off, mounted the stairs rapidly, and locked her
self in her room, and cried into her pillow.  Kasumi gave a long
stare at Nabiki as if trying to read something.

      "What happened Nabiki?  Did you make a move on Ranma in
front of Akane?"  Nabiki was indignant.  "Me?  Make a move?  Nah!
I didn't, apparently Akane got angry because Ranma accused her of
being unfaithful..."  Kasumi's eyebrow raised ever-so-slightly.
`That's usually Akane's line'

      Kasumi sighed, life as usual was having one of its weirder
twists...  "So what forced Ranma to that conclusion?"  Nabiki
paused, wondering whether she should include her involvement in
this issue.  She decided to withhold that information.
"Apparently, someone gave Ranma a book filled with pictures of
Akane kissing other boys."  Kasumi thoughtfully suggested, "They
why don't they make up?  It would so much easier if they talked
it over..."

      Nabiki cut her older sister off.  "Too late.  Akane also
got an album filled with pictures of Ranma kissing other women,
and she got angry as usual.  She actually punched Ranma really
hard, and made him bleed..."  Kasumi's mouth formed a small oh,
and she returned back to the kitchen.  `Now, how do I get the two
together...'  Nabiki, her conscience ripped her heart into little
bits, could hear her little sister bawling her eyes out upstairs.

      She slowly went up the stairs, as if a weight had been
placed on her shoulders.  And as she passed Ranma's room, she
thought she could also hear crying.  Quietly knocking on the
door, she was surprised when the door was jerked open by a red
wet face.  Nabiki was surprised by the sudden change in Ranma's
attitude...`Gosh, so many tears, and he hasn't metamorphasized
yet?'  The tears served to drive a sword through Nabiki's heart.
Feeling sorry, she entered Ranma's room.

      Almost immediately Ranma cried into her shoulder, and
despite the situation, Nabiki liked the feel of that.  She lead
him back, and both sat on Ranma's cot, side by side.  Ranma still
cried uncontrollably.

      "What did I do to deserve this?  Was it something I said?
Was I making Akane angry?"  Ranma.  "But I've decided not to
worry about this...I've vowed never to love a woman any more, and
I promised to stay a bachelor for my entire life..."  Ranma
disengaged himself from Nabiki and stood up, forcing himself to
stop crying.  Nabiki frowned when he said this.  "Umm, Ranma are
you sure?  What would happen if you fell in love with another
woman?"

      Ranma shrugged his shoulders.  "I'll ignore my emotions,
and will refuse to fall in love with her."  Nabiki's hopes of an
easy conquest of Ranma were shattered.  `I must prove to him that
he can love me.  That's going to be challenging...'  Ranma didn't
ever look back, when he left the room to do the one thing that
could offer some control when his life was in shambles, practice
martial arts.  Nabiki quietly stood up, and followed him out,
interested in what he was going to do.

      Ranma set up a metal sparring dummy in the backyard.  `Why
not?  Challenging practices are always interesting...'  Taking
ten paces backwards, he stood still, concentrating his thoughts
for the moment, his mind picturing his fist blasting the statue
into dust.  Nabiki peeked around the corner of the house, amused
with Ranma's seemingly foolish attempt.  `Ranma, ha!  You won't
make a dent in the statue...Oh! I hope you don't get hurt.'
Ranma's mind focused on his fists, his heart, his arms, but his
mind couldn't concentrate.  `What?  I could concentrate
yesterday....  What's wrong today?'  In anger, Ranma charged the
statue, and lashed out with his hand.  Nabiki stilled herself,
when Ranma suddenly moved.

      "Owww!"  Ranma fell to his knees, clutching his hurt hand.
Nabiki, her concern for Ranma, overwhelming her desire to stay
hidden, ran up.  "Ranma, are you ok?"  Ranma looked and was
surprised to see Nabiki's concerned face.  Smiling briefly, he
answered curtly.  "Ah, it's no problem."  He winced as Nabiki
took his hand.  Nabiki bent down, her head on equal level to his.
"Come on, you're lying.  I'll get Kasumi to look at your hand.
As Nabiki helped him up, and followed him in, his unfocused mind
began to think.  `Since when did Nabiki become very nice?'

* * *

      "Stand still Ranma."  Kasumi was gently massaging Ranma's
hand, causing pain to ripple up his arm.  "Owww, Kasumi could you
be more gentle?"  Kasumi ignored him, and continued to massage
his hand, while Ranma continued to squirm, and complain about
pain.  Finally Kasumi stopped, and looked at Ranma expectantly.
Ranma flexed his fingers, hardly feeling any pain.

      "Gee thanks, you're almost as good as Dr. Tofu."  Kasumi
blushed, her mind thinking about that strange doctor, who some
how managed to always be fun.  With a smile on her face, she
returned to the kitchen to resume her chores.  With that said,
Ranma decided that a jog would be good for him.  He dashed out
the Tendo Dojo, and took off down the street at a respectable
pace.  He made it to the intersection, when he stopped suddenly,
his mind filled with a combination of terror, anger.

      "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.  Ranma, your princess is here!"
Kodachi leaped out of nowhere, ribbon trailing behind her, and
she landed in front of Ranma.  Her eyes were definitely not
happy.  "Ranma!  You've been a very bad person.  What's the
meaning of this?"  She flung pictures at Ranma, showing him
kissing Ukyou and Shampoo...  While Ranma caught these pictures
and looked at them in shock, Kodachi screeched, "I must punish
you."  She swung her ribbon, which unfurled at Ranma.  Surprised,
Ranma dropped the pictures, and he ducked the ribbon.  As it
passed over head, he grabbed it and yanked it really hard.

      Kodachi not expecting Ranma's counterattack, felt herself
leave the ground uncontrollably, and she landed on top of Ranma.
Suddenly her anger was overwritten with pure joy.  "Oh ha
hahahahahahhahahaha!  Ranma, so you declare your unconditional
love for me!  I forgive you!"  Kodachi plastered her body onto
Ranma, who really got angry, his anger clouding his judgment.

      "Get off, you *woman*"  He said woman with such venomous
undertones, that a few passing girls were scared and crossed to
the other side of the street.  He peeled Kodachi, and slammed her
against the wall, his body close to her, his face in anger, his
breath heavy.  Kodachi misinterpreted his intentions.  "Oh Ranma!
Control yourself, we can not do this in public!"  Her hands began
to caress his chest.  Ranma got further enraged at the thought of
making love to this sick minded woman.  He pushed her to the
ground, and started to yell.

      "Why don't you ever leave me alone!"  Kodachi, however
wasn't listening to Ranma.  For some reason, she started to laugh
uncontrollably.  She leaped up and grabbed Ranma into her arms.
"Domination?  I'm completely intrigued!  Come, let's make love!"
Ranma completely repulsed, broke free of her grasp, and ran as
fast as he could down the street.  Kodachi only laughed.  `Oh
Ranma so romantic, trying to make me work to get him...'  A
sickly pink tongue snaked out and wetted her lips.  Laughing
insanely, she took off in close pursuit.

      As Ranma ran, passing pedestrians, dodging obstacles, he
took a chance and looked over his shoulder.  `Darn!  Kodachi's
still following me."  He decided to take evasive maneuvers.
Quickly turning, Ranma started to head down a narrow maze of
alleys, and after 20 minutes, he had not managed to throw off
Kodachi, however, he did manage to make himself disorientated.
Still not willing to surrender himself to a woman, Ranma
continued to push himself, and eventually he rejoined a main
street.

      "Hey this road looks familiar..."  Ranma's eyes quickly
glanced all over the place, but he didn't notice the Neko Haten,
as he passed it.  Meanwhile, inside the ramen shop, Mousse was
worried about Shampoo, who had been brooding the entire day, ever
since she saw the photographs.  For no particular reason, she
decided to look up from her cooking, just in time to see Ranma
pass the front of the story at high speed, followed by ....
Kodachi!  With a shout of rage, Shampoo picked up her bonbori,
and exited out of the store, prepared to punish Ranma for
cheating on her and for trying to elope with Kodachi!

      "RAN-ma!"  Ranma shuddered when her heard that voice.  `Oh
no! Not Shampoo!'  "Shampoo punish Ranma!"  Shampoo charged after
the fleeing figure, brandishing her bonbori, her well-endowed
chest heaving as she ran hard.  Kodachi, hearing Shampoo, turned
her head and shouted back.  "Away from Ranma!  We're going to my
place to make love!"  Kodachi laughed maniacally for the
umpteenth time, driving Shampoo's anger beyond rage to
crazed-Amazon-woman-ready-to-split-your-skull-in-two.  Shampoo
shouted a battle cry, and she charged.

      "Psycho-girl, Shampoo kill you!  Ranma is Shampoo's
husband!"  Shampoo rapidly started to gain on Ranma and Kodachi.
Ranma, completely angry at the annoying people who were chasing
him, decided to stop running.  `I have to face them like a
man...'  Ranma screeched to halt, and turned around in time have
Kodachi crash into him....

      Both tumbled on the ground, their arms and legs virtually
tangled together, Kodachi making purring noises...  "Oh Ranma,
let's do it now!"  Ranma fought hard to extract himself from the
mess, and he almost succeeded when a bonbori smashed into his
chest , propelling him against a fence.  He slid to the ground
choking in pain.  Shampoo easily punted off Kodachi, who was so
excited that she didn't notice.  "Oh Ranma, what a rush!" and
she continued to laugh as she sailed off into the distance.
Shampoo slowly approached Ranma, her normally cheerful face
frozen in anger.

      "Ranma!  Shampoo now carry you to China and marry."  Ranma
tried to fight, but a pain in his chest, prevented him from
moving.  Shampoo slowly approached, her hands holding her
bonbori, obviously prepared to knock out Ranma and steal him off
to China....  She raised her bonbori, but she never got to swing.
Out of nowhere, a cascade of water fell on Shampoo.  Ranma
cringed in fear, but instantly a hand clamped itself over his
eyes, and he heard a voice...

      "Boy, you'd think that your prospective fiancees would
treat you with more dignity...."  Ranma was shocked.  "Ummm,
Nabiki?  What are you doing here?"  Nabiki thought.  `Well, I
can't admit that I was also following you...I was lucky that
Shampoo burst out so early....If she had seen me....'  Nabiki
decided not to tell the truth, and she spoke as she helped Ranma
up.

      "I happened to be passing by, and I couldn't help but
notice the mess you were in."  Ranma was still wary, it was rare
that Nabiki did a good deal without expecting anything in return.
Ranma's arm draped around her shoulder, and her arm around his
shoulder, they walked off.  Ranma decided to be direct "So what
do you want?"  Nabiki looked up at him, as if shocked.  "What do
you mean?  I want nothing in return for this.  Do you remember, I
quitted my `business'."  They silently walked off to Dr. Tofu's.

* * *

      "Minor flesh wound?"  Ranma muttered incredulously as he
left the clinic with Nabiki. "That hit knocked the wind out of
me...minor flesh wound...bah!"  Nabiki silently followed Ranma,
her head looking down at the ground.  Ranma then looked at
Nabiki.  Ranma opened his mouth to say something, but he closed
it immediately afterwards.  After a minute delay, he finally
forced himself to speak what was on his mind.

      "Nabiki, thanks for bailing me out today.  I would never
like being married to Shampoo or Kodachi."  Ranma looked at
Nabiki, whose head was still looking at the ground.  "Hey, what's
wrong?  It's not as if you had a lot of annoying fiancees, all of
whom are fighting for you..."  Ranma smiled briefly at Nabiki,
but the smile quickly dissolved when he thought about Akane...
Slowly, they walked home together.

      After entering the Dojo, Ranma was greeted by his father.
"Ranma! Defend yourself."  Ranma, seeing his father charge him,
charged his father.  Genma stared at this approaching son.  `Ha,
I'll get him this time. Heh heh.'  As they approached, Genma made
a sweeping sidestep, completely avoiding Ranma's punch.  Ranma's
face became a look of surprise, that even his father had
outsmarted him.  Becoming possessed by rage and irrationality,
Ranma went berserk.  Screaming, he charged his father.

      Genma looked with dismay at his son charging him.  `Oh no!
Now Ranma's really going to trash me.'  Almost completely filled
with fear, Genma debated whether to retreat, but he suddenly
realized that Ranma was completely unfocused in his attack, there
was an opening!  Ranma reached up to his father, and launched a
broadside of attacks.  He punched, kicked, elbowed, and opened
into a bunch of attack forms, but was surprised to see Genma duck
his fists and launch his fist into his stomach.  Ranma fell back,
gasping in pain.

      `What?  This is not possible!  First I hurt myself on the
practice dummy.  Now, my father's beating me!'  Genma's success
served to piss off Ranma even more.  Getting up, Ranma charged
his father again.  Genma, stared at Ranma, and said to himself,
`That's strange, Ranma usually is very focused in his attacks...'
Genma charged Ranma.

      Father approached son, and as each passed, a quick volley
of attacks were exchanged.  Genma blocked fiercely, his hands
successfully holding back Ranma's unorganized attacks.  As both
completely their pass, Genma let his arm fly at Ranma's departing
body.  The base of his hand slammed into Ranma's back, right
between Ranma's shoulder blades.  Intense pain shot to Ranma's
brain, his anger burned through all sanity in him.  He felt rage.
Rage against Akane who cheated on him.  Rage against his father
who managed to be winning.  Rage at his inability to focus or
concentrate.  Using momentum from his father's attack, Ranma
tumbled on the ground, and as he exited the tumble, his body spun
180 degrees.  He landed on his feet facing Genma's back.  Ranma
again mindlessly charged his father, only to be turned back.
Ranma charged again and again and again, each attempt his father
succeeded in turning him back.  Ranma finally quitted, his
exhaustion overtaking him, and he lied back on the ground
breathing hard.

      Genma approached his son, surprisingly not rejoicing at his
victory.  "Ranma, is their something wrong?  You seemed to be
unfocused in your attacks..."  An idea crept into Genma's mind.
"Did you do something wrong to Akane?  She usually hangs around
when you spar..."  Genma looked about to look for Akane, the only
people he could see were Nabiki, who was sitting on the porch
next to Soun who was reading the newspaper.  Akane was not to be
seen.  When Genma mentioned Akane's name, and the assumed that
Ranma had wronged her, Ranma's defeated look was quickly replaced
with rage.

      "I wronged Akane?  I wronged Akane?  No, Old man, she
wronged me!  She left me for other men!  How could she!"  Ranma
screamed, and as anger possessed him, his hand shot up, and he
tried, unsuccessfully, to grab his father's throat.  Genma
shocked by the anger flaming in Ranma's eyes, easily dodged the
clawing hands, and he picked up Ranma, and dragged him off.

      "Yah!  What are you doing?"  Ranma shouted, blind with
rage.  "Hey! Hands off!  What's wrong with you?  I said let go!"
Nabiki watched with semi-interest as Genma picked up Ranma, and
tossed him into the pond.  Genma calmly took off his glasses,
quickly polished them, and put them back on.  His voice was
unnaturally calm.  "Ranma, cool off."  He turned around, and
headed back to the house.

      Ranma spitting out a mouthful of water, stood up
indignantly, and he stalked off to the house, his luscious woman
body quivering, only to walk into Soun, who happened to hear
Ranma's raving in the backyard.  "How dare you blame Akane?"
Soun's head had inflated to a monstrous size.  "You will go and
apologize and makeup with her!"  Unlike before, Ranma shouted
back.  "Make me!  And I made a promise never to marry anyone for
the rest of my life!  So there!  Ha!"  Soun, after hearing
Ranma's vow of celibacy, got enraged, and his hands locked around
Ranma's throat and started to strangle and shake him crazily.

      Punctuating every word with a shake.  "You will marry one
of my daughters!  You will marry one of my daughters!..."  He
repeated this until he felt a tap at his shoulder.  "Yes!
Nabiki!  What! Do! You! Want!"

      "Eh, Dad, I think you shouldn't kill Ranma, or else he'll
never be able to marry...at all"  Soun looked at Ranma's red
face, and dropped him on the ground.  Ranma had fainted while his
slim neck was in Soun's hands, and fell to the ground with a
thump.  Soun didn't stop his anger, he started sobbing when he
turned to Genma.

      "Genma, how will the Anything Goes School live?  Your son
is becoming celibate, and refuses to marry Akane!"  Sobbing
uncontrollably, Soun's eye's started to gush water.  Kasumi
hearing the commotion, rushes into the room.  "Father!", looking
at her father's extreme grieving, "Ranma!", looking at Ranma's
unconscious female body on the floor, Nabiki kneeling beside him,
"What happened?"  Kasumi placed her hand lightly on her father's
shoulder, trying to soothe him.  Soun sniffled.

      "Oh the terror!  Ranma has made a vow that he will never
marry a woman!"  Kasumi tried her best to comfort Soun.  "There,
there, There's nothing wrong, I think Ranma's just angry and he's
jumping to conclusions.  Never mind father, things will work out.
How about this, father, why don't you go to bed, and rest..."
Kasumi led a still sobbing Soun off.  Genma stared at the clock,
and muttered something about "being late" and he ran off, leaving
Nabiki and Ranma, alone, sort of.  Nabiki sighed, and she
shouldered Ranma, surprised how light Ranma-chan was.

      Slowly, Nabiki teetered up the stairs, the weight of
Ranma-chan threw her balance off slightly.  Struggling silently,
Nabiki managed to carry Ranma up the stairs, open to door to his
room, and carefully place him on the bed.  `To think a week ago,
I would have killed to have this opportunity to take
photographs...'  Nabiki quietly walked to the bathroom, soaked a
towel in cold water, returned to Ranma's side, and patiently
dabbed his forehead.  As she tended to Ranma's inert form, her
emotions were in conflict within her.

      It seemed that her conscience was bothering her about how
she forced Ranma and Akane apart, and she felt guilt for Ranma's
current desperation, and Akane's pain.  But another part of her
was feeling pretty good, because she felt that her personality
had undergone some change.  Granted, she could easily be her old
self again, but she felt a desire to be nice and do good deeds.
Her mind flashed to various episodes at school:  she helped a
classmate pay off his debts.  She unconditionally had lend some
money to a new friend, and donated some to a wandering beggar.
So Nabiki existed in a strange state.  A half of her was happy,
because her new personality was exposing her to the joys of life.
Another half of her was sad, sad for messing up the lives of her
sister and Ranma...

      As Nabiki sat there, her mind in conflict, Ranma's eye's
fluttered, and finally open, revealing a hazy image of Nabiki
lost in thought while she dabbed his forehead...

      "Oh ohh" Ranma groaned, "My head is pounding with pain...."
Nabiki looked down at Ranma, and sort of smiled.  "Well, sorry
about my dad, he kind of overreacted to your announcement of your
vow of celibacy..."  Ranma smiled weakly, his head hurt, a lot.
He thought to himself, `Why all of these changes?  First I'm no
longer engaged to Akane.'  He felt another bout of depression,
but he managed to fight it back.  `Father kicked my butt for the
first time in three years. and Nabiki's become a nice person.'
And as he thought of Nabiki, he felt a weak, unknown emotion
evoked within him...

      "Um, thanks Nabiki, I think I want to be alone for awhile."
Nabiki nodded, and she left without a word, closing the door
behind her.  Ranma stared at her departing body, and he closed
his eyes to sleep, as if his pains were really a dream.

* * *

      Akane, who was still on her bed, but not crying, heard a
gentle knock on her door.  Her voice slightly shaky replied.
"Come in."  `Please be Ranma....Please be Ranma....' she wished,
but it was Nabiki, and she carried a tray of food.  Shocked,
Akane's head quickly turned to the clock, it read 6 o'clock.
Nabiki who managed to balance the tray with one hand, smiled
sheepishly.

      "Kasumi didn't want you to miss your dinner."  Nabiki
presented the tray containing a bowl of rice and a smattering of
samples of Kasumi's dishes.  Akane smiled at Nabiki, and she took
the tray.  "Thank you Nabiki, you've been really nice...."  Nabiki
felt an urge to leave Akane, but some how, her newly found
humanity made her sit next to Akane.

      "So do you want to talk?  It might make you feel better..."
Akane, who daintily picked her food with her chopsticks, and
carefully chewed, nodded.  After chewing completely, and
swallowing, she turned to Nabiki, her eyes looked as if she could
burst into tears in any moment.

      "Why is Ranma so angry?  He usually comes back after any
fight we have...  I mean it seems that he thinks that I did
something wrong this time.  Usually it's his fault, and now it's
so confusing."  Akane held her head with her hands, her mind in
lost in the fog of emotions.  Nabiki felt sorry for her younger
sister.  "And why did father freak out this time?"  Nabiki paused
before she answered, knowing very well the answer might make
Akane really sad.  Akane, noticing the pause, stared into
Nabiki's eye.  "Really, I want to know."

      Nabiki took a breath, collected her thoughts, and decided
how to say it.  "Well, Ranma was hard hit because he thought you
were unfaithful, and his anger clouded his judgment.  He promised
that he would never marry...I think he's just being irrational."
Akane didn't know how to react to the news...  One part of her
wanted to laugh hysterically: `Ranma Saotome, a man with 3
fiancees finally decides that he would be celibate.'  Images of
Ukyou, Shampoo, and even Kodachi beating on Ranma filled her
mind.  But a sadness also crept in...`That must mean, he doesn't
love me...'

      Nabiki who looked at Akane, seemed to understand what Akane
thought, her sympathy took over, and she placed a hand on Akane's
shoulder.  "Oh, Akane, you don't need to panic, I think Ranma
still loves you...  You should talk to him..."  Akane looked at
Nabiki.  "Me?  You want me to talk to Ranma?  After all the pain
he caused me?  He should come to me..."

      Nabiki, thinking about Ranma and Akane, she ominously
whispered, "I don't think you meant what you just said."  She
opened the door, and exited just in time to see Ranma walking
down the hall to his room with a cup in his hand.


Chapter 5 - Aftermath

      Ranma slammed the door behind him, and he lay down on his
cot, his mind trying to forget what Akane said.  He suppressed
the urge to cry, and he lay there emotionless.  However, after a
couple minutes he gave in to his emotions, and silently lamented.
`Why did you say that Akane?  Do you really hate me?'  Ranma lay
there, tears trickling down the side of his face.  Slowly drop by
drop rolled down his cheek, and landed on his cot.  Ranma turned
onto his side, and went to sleep, waiting for the next day.

      The next day was almost normal.  Well, almost normal was an
overstatement.  A depressed Ranma woke up early in the morning:
he just couldn't sleep with so many problems whirling around in
his head.  So, after making himself an early breakfast, he
decided to leave the dojo, and head off to school early, before
anyone else woke up.  A few minutes after Ranma left, Kasumi woke
up, and suppressing a yawn, struggled into her clothes, and
walked downstairs, ready to serve her family yet another day.

      She walked into the kitchen, and was surprised to see some
leftovers on the table..  She shrugged her shoulders, and started
to prepare breakfast.  Some time afterwards, Genma poked his head
into the door.  "Um, Kasumi, have you seen Ranma?  He's never
missed a sparring session..."

      Kasumi turned around, her perpetually cheerful face
smiled.  "Oh, Mr. Saotome, I don't know where Ranma is.  If you
like, you can have the leftovers on the table.  Someone cooked
them this morning..."  The moment food was mentioned, Genma's
stomach immediately growled, and he fell onto the dishes like a
predator.  In his right hand, the knuckles of his hand turned
white as Genma slightly tensed before attacking his defenseless
prey lying in the dish below.

      However, suddenly a thought entered his mind.  "Um Kasumi,
is this Akane's cooking?"  Kasumi responded almost laughing, "Oh
no!  Akane's still asleep..."  With that final doubt erased from
his mind, Genma's chopsticks flashed over the food, and he
consumed it.  After the plates were emptied, he carried them to
the sink and rinsed them off.

      "Kasumi, whoever cooked this dish knew what she was
doing..."  Genma patted his stomach affectionately, and marched
off to the dining room.  Kasumi nodded absentmindedly as she
quickly added some oyster sauce to the wok.  She paused and
looked around for some sugar.  As her eyes strayed around, she
saw Ranma's cap.  Kasumi's eyes opened slightly.  `Wow!  So Ranma
cooked that...'

* * *

      Nabiki groaned as the alarm clock next to her started to
scream like a dog being neutered without painkillers.  Her hand
snaked out of her bed, and started to slap at the clock, but her
aim was off.  After a couple fruitless attempts, she finally
found the clock, and crawled out of bed.  Her eyes barely open,
she struggled into clothes, and staggered to the bathroom.
Splashing some ice cold water on her face, she gradually woke up.
She almost laughed to herself.  `I wonder what happens when Ranma
does this in the morning...I'd better wake up Akane and Ranma.'
She walked down to Akane's door and knocked on it.

      "Akane, wake up now.  You don't want to be late for class,
do you?"  Nabiki could hear the creaking of bedsprings with a
couple of moans.  Satisfied that she had woken up Akane, she
crossed the hall to Ranma's room.  She knocked on the door.
"Hey, Ranma wake up.  You're going to be late if you wake up any
later..."  Getting no response, Nabiki shrugged her shoulders,
and went to breakfast.  Seeing Genma, already gorging himself on
the food, she grabbed a bowl of rice, and proceeded to eat.

      "Mr. Saotome, have you seen Ranma today?"  Genma paused in
his rapid siphoning of food into his mouth, and answered, his
mouth still full.  "Ah no, I guess he already went to school.
All the better, more food for me..."  Nabiki grimaced as she saw
the half chewed food, mostly mashed rice with a hint of mangled
pork, in Genma's mouth as it opened and closed in front of her.

      Akane walked down the stairs, and was surprised to see
everyone except Ranma at the table.  Silently, she sat at the
table and started to halfheartedly eat.  Breakfast was strangely
silent.  Soun gravely ate, while Genma ate like a vacuum cleaner,
inhaling almost everything in sight.  Nabiki delicately picked at
her food, while Akane didn't eat much.  Wanting to break the
silence, Nabiki looked at her watch.

      "Wow, it's getting late.  Come on Akane, let's go to
school."  Both girls shouldered their satchels, and they left.
As they left the main gates to the dojo, Akane ventured to ask
Nabiki a question.  "Do you know where's Ranma?"  Nabiki shrugged
her shoulders, "Mr. Saotome said that he probably went to school
early."

      Akane, as she ran, felt something eat at her mind as she
ran to school next to Nabiki.  She thought of sitting in class
all day with Ranma purposely not looking at her.  `I really do
not want to be in class today...  I just want to be by myself,
and think over everything.'  She looked at Nabiki who was
silently running next to her, amazingly keeping pace.

      "Um, Nabiki?"  Nabiki turned her head to look at Akane,
silently glad that the silence had been nullified.  "Yes?"

      "I was wondering, whether you could cover for me.  I feel
I need some time alone to think, and I want to cut class today,
if that's ok with you..."  Nabiki was shocked.  `Akane, she wants
to cut her classes?  Now that's a new thing...'  Nabiki halted
her run

      "Are you sure?  I mean it's pretty serious to miss a class
on purpose..."  Akane stared at Nabiki, her eyes soaked to the
brim with sincerity.  Nabiki coughed, and after a delay and
against her better judgment, she agreed.

      "Ok, Akane, just this once.  I'll make sure that this
absence won't show up on the report card..."  Akane smiled,
hugged Nabiki, and ran off in another direction.

* * *

      For the past hour, Ranma had sat at a bench outside of the
school, his depressed mind completely blank, as he waited for
school to start.  Life without Akane seemed so moot, so
unbearable.  His mind contemplated dark thoughts as a limousine
pulled up to the school.  The door swung open revealing Kuno
Tatewaki.  Taking a calm step, he took a deep breath.

      "Oh the morning, fresh with an energy that belies the..."
He paused a moment in his expousing of useless, archaic phrases,
when he saw Ranma nonchalantly perched on the bench, lost in
thought.  Kuno felt the blood boil inside of him.  Before him
stood an empty schoolyard, and the evil enchanter who had charmed
away his two lovers...

      He gripped the wooden sword that always hung on his belt,
and drew it.  He then screamed, "Ranma!  Die!" and charged.
Ranma heard Kuno scream his typical battle cry, and made no
motion, he turned his head, and looked at Kuno straight in the
eyes.

      Kuno laughed to himself.  `Oh Ranma finally acknowledges
his inferiority to me, the Blue Thunder of Furinken High
School....' "Omph!"  Kuno lost in thought, had ran past Ranma,
and tripped on the bench...  Struggling to his feet, he charged
again.

      "Ranma!  Fight like a man!  How dare you use your evil
magics!"  He swung, and his sword connected with Ranma this time.
Ranma was propelled backwards like a rag doll and crashed into
the wall.  Without a word, Ranma stood up again.  Kuno's eyebrow
raised slightly, and he attacked again.  And just as before, he
knocked Ranma flying a few feet, and again Ranma stood up, not
willing to fight back...  Pretty soon, Kuno tired of fighting a
motionless target.

      "Ranma you coward why don't you fight."  Ranma's depressed
face scowled at the comment.  He coldly replied.  "Who's the
coward?  A man who doesn't fight back or a man that attacks a man
that doesn't fight back."  It took Kuno a few moments of thinking
to finally comprehend what Ranma had said, and when the meaning
finally dawned on him, his anger increased beyond human bounds.

      "How  dare you taunt your superior!"  With that said, Kuno
started to beat the pulp out of Ranma, who refused to scream, or
beg for mercy to pleasure Kuno.  He just stood their, and took
the damage.  After awhile, Kuno gave up.  Ranma's completely
passive involvement offered no pleasure, and he walked off
grumbling to himself.  Ranma lied on the floor, motionless,
bruised, bleeding from various points on his body, made no effort
to get up.  And for some strange reason, the sky quickly covered
over with grey clouds and started to rain hard and cold.
Ranma-chan stayed on the ground, his will for life having
disappeared.

      Suddenly foot steps came up to Ranma, followed by a gasp.
"Ran-chan!"  Ranma made no effort to respond, since the hit to
his jaw, had dislocated it.  He couldn't speak.  Ukyou kneeled in
front of Ranma's face, her eyes filled with tears.  "Ranma, don't
tell me?  Akane did this to you?"  Ranma shook his head no.
Reaching up with his bruised hand, he punched himself on the jaw,
completely shocking Ukyou, but the punch served to relocate his
jaw.

      Clenching his teeth, and trying to ignore the cold and the
bruises all over his body, Ranma struggled to leave Ukyou's arms.
"Leave me alone.  If you were my friend, you would just leave me
out here."  Ukyou looked at Ranma and stared.  Her mind was
tumultuous.  On one hand, she couldn't leave Ranma outside like
this.  On the other, she respected Ranma's wishes.  Finally,
after staring long and deeply into Ranma's eyes, Ukyou sighed and
spoke.  "It's against my judgment to leave you out here in the
freezing rain, but since you wished it, and I am your friend, I
will listen."  Ukyou took off her jacket, and rolled it up,
forming a makeshift pillow for Ranma's head.  Ukyou gently placed
Ranma's head on her jacket, and slowly walked to the doors.

      Ranma laid there, his eyes shut as he felt extremely
depressed.  He ignored the sounds of passing students, their
footsteps, their exclamation at seeing Ranma beaten  After what
seemed like eternity, Ranma heard a gasp, and felt someone
feeling his cheek.  He looked up into the eyes of Nabiki, who was
completely shocked by the damage Ranma had sustained.

      Nabiki wrapped her arm around Ranma, and struggled to lift
him up.  Ranma weakly fought against Nabiki, but the icy cold
water and Kuno's serious beating had taken all of his energy, and
Nabiki easily resisted.  "Come on Ranma!  This isn't the time to
wish you were dead..."  She glanced at her watch... and sighed.
`I guess I'll be cutting school too.'  She then helped Ranma limp
to Dr. Tofu's office.

* * *

      "Not a problem!  Just a couple minor bruises, almost like a
wooden sword hit him..."  Dr. Tofu cheerfully reported to Nabiki.
Nabiki nodded ever so slightly, not revealing her burning desire
to go out and make Kuno pay for what he did...  And just as a
plan was formulating in her head, she felt a hand land on her
shoulder, which pulled her attention away from revenge, to the
person who touched her.

      "Why did you help me?  You're not thinking of blackmailing
me again?"  Ranma looked warily at Nabiki who appeared to be
shocked.  She managed a little grin.  "Of course not, but now
that you mentioned it...."  As soon as she saw the look of dismay
on Ranma's face, she burst into laughter.

      "Come on Ranma, I'm joking.  Come on, let's go home."
Nabiki leaned over to help Ranma get out of bed.  Carefully
wrapping her right arm around Ranma, both managed to sort of walk
out the door and return to the Tendo Dojo.

* * *

      Ranma and Nabiki slowly limped into the dojo, causing
strange glances from the others.  Genma had stopped looked up
from his game of go to watch the two.  So did Kasumi and Soun,
both interested in the fact that Ranma and Nabiki had returned
very early.  Kasumi smiled.

      "Oh hi Ranma, Nabiki.  Back so soon?"  Kasumi smiled as she
carefully washed the floor, she suddenly noticed the bandages and
such wrapped around Ranma.  "Oh my, Ranma.  Are you ok?  What
happened?  How come Akane did not come home with you?  She didn't
have an argument with you again?"  Nabiki shook her head, and
explained.

      "Apparently Ranma got beaten by Kuno.  He should have some
rest."  Nabiki helped Ranma struggle up the stairs.  Making sure
that Ranma didn't trip, she slowly guided Ranma to his room.
Hastily sliding the door open with her foot, she and Ranma
approached the cot.  She laid him down.  Ranma smiled back.

      "Thanks for helping me.  I don't know what came over me when
Kuno attacked...."  Ranma's voice trailed off, lost it thought...
Uncomfortable silence followed, and after a couple unbearable
moments, Nabiki replied.

      "No problem...  Gotta go..."  Nabiki walked out the door,
careful to shut the door quietly behind her.  Ranma thought a
bit, before he went asleep.  He thought about Akane... and
Nabiki.  Mildly confused at his mind's interest, he dozed off,
into a dreamless state.

* * *

      Ranma woke up when some miscreant gave him a kick.  Ranma
scrambled out of bed, to see his father, looming over him.  "Ranma
you good for nothing, poor disgrace to the Saotome name!  You've
allowed the family Kuno to taint our family honor!"

      Ranma stood up, ready to argue.  "What?  I ruined our
family's honor?  What about those countless times where you broke
all of those promises?"  Ranma's and Genma's mind flashed back to
numerous incidents, one of which was Genma's stealing of Ukyou's
yattai...., another was Genma's attempt to sell off Ranma for
some food....

      Genma's face turned red, as he tried to find a
counterargument, he stuttered incoherently, when Soun backed up
his old chum.

      "How about the time when you, Ranma, did not refuse your
other fiancees?"  Soun was referring to Shampoo and Ukyou.  Ranma
retorted, "Well I did refuse them for the record."  Both Soun and
Genma, seeing that their attack on Ranma had failed, made a
strategic retreat to come up with a new plan.  The two men left
the room to speak quietly outside.

      Soun looked at Genma.  "How will we make Ranma feel guilty
about Akane?"  Genma added.  "And make him regain our school's
honor...."  Soun stared at Genma, who had struck a pose, that of
a hero about to conquer his goal.

      Soun tapped Genma impatiently on the shoulder.  "Wouldn't it
be better to make Ranma want to get back with Akane first?  Then he
can seek his revenge?"  A flash of inspiration struck Genma.  "Why
don't we...."  He whispered into Soun's ear.  Slowly, Soun's
serious face broke into uncontainable joy.

      "Yes Genma!  Such a plan!  It will work!"  Both men slide
the door open again, and walked up to Ranma.  Their chests puffed
out as they presented their ultimate attack.  "How about breaking
your promise to marry Akane!"  Ranma looked dumbfounded at Mr.
Tendo and his father.  His jaw slacked, as his mind revolted.
`How could they use this to attack me!  It was her fault....'  He
managed to mutter and stammer a few incomprehensible phrases.

      Genma looked at Soun with a wide grin.  "See, guilt is
written all over his face."  Soun shook Ranma, and adapted a tone
of an overzealous preacher.  "Son, you can repent!  You can
repent!"  Ranma turned away from Soun, and stared out of the
window, at the fish swimming in the pond.  His mind was cloven
into two separate parts.  On one hand, he would give anything to
be with Akane again.  On the other hand, his pride refused to
accept any wrong.  Resting his hands on the table, he looked up
at the full moon, and sighed.  Eventually the war within him
ceased, with his pride emerging as a victor.

      "I refuse..."  Both Soun and Genma could not believe what
Ranma had said.  Akane and Kasumi, who were eavesdropping, shook
their heads in disbelief.  Akane sat quietly, slowly clenching
her hands trying to fight back the tears.

      "Such disgrace!"  Both Genma and Soun started to trample
Ranma, who shouted protests.  "Aw!  Pop cut it out....  Ouch!  Mr.
Tendo!"  Minutes later Genma and Soun gave up, and left, leaving
Ranma on the floor.  `Damn you father!'  Ranma thought as his
wounded dignity and pride took over him.  `If that's the way you
feel!  Then perhaps, you really would enjoy it if I
disappeared....'  Struggling up, Ranma grabbed his old traveling
backpack, and began to pack.


Chapter 6 - Reconciliation

      Ranma, shouldering his backpack, leaped out of the window,
leaving a hastily scrawled message on the table.  'Goodbye Akane!
I should be happy leaving such an uncute person like you, but I
am not.  There is a sadness that I feel.'  Landing silently on
the ground, Ranma strangely found himself thinking of Nabiki.
'Well goodbye to you too Nabiki, I've been most impressed with
your changes this past week.'  Pausing as if torn between two
positions, Ranma looked at the darkness that stretched beyond the
Tendo Dojo.  Swallowing hard, Ranma steeled himself.  'If Ryoga
can do it, so can I!'  Ranma dashed off, preparing to camp out
for the night, and leave Nerima forever the next day.

      Nabiki cheerfully bounced into the dining room, and took a
seat, slightly amused by the emotional show that her father and
Mr. Saotome were performing.

      "Why must Ranma be such an insensitive clod?"  sobbed Soun,
as he drank tea.  "Why?  Why must the world be so insane?"  Soun
continued to cry, drenching Genma.  However, Genma was too sad to
notice.

      "My son, is such a weakling!  Defeated easily by Kuno!
Why!  Where have I failed?  The honor of the Saotome School of
Anything Goes is destined to be doomed!" Genma wailed.  Nabiki
hid a smile, and she turned to Akane who was sitting down, her
back slouched, and her face showing her inner sadness.  Guilt
seized Nabiki, and she instinctively placed her hand on Akane's
shoulder.  'What have I done?  Is is possible that I love Ranma
so much, that my passion has blinded my conscience?'

      Akane had been seated for a half-hour, depressed at the
events that were unfolding before her.  In her mind, Ranma's
voice constantly echoed, "I refuse."  She fought back her
emotions and tried to put on a straight face.  As she watched her
father and Mr. Saotome lament, she just sat in silence, thinking.
'Maybe Ranma hates me.  But that is no problem.  He's a hentai!
And he's immature, and boorish, and barbaric, and...and stupid!'
Somehow, even to herself, Akane's thoughts felt hollow.
Suddenly, Akane felt a comforting hand land on her shoulder..
She slowly turned her head, and met the gaze of Nabiki, her eyes
filled with understanding, encouragement, and a hint of sadness
too.

      For some reason, Nabiki's presence warmed Akane a little,
and brought her somewhat out of her depression.  Nabiki smiled at
Akane, and her eyes seemed to convey, "Everything will be alright
in the end."  Akane, despite her current feelings, felt a
tentative smile form.

      "There all done!"  Kasumi walked into the room, carrying the
final dishes for dinner.  She carefully set them on the table,
and was surprised not to find Ranma present, eager to eat.  "So
where is Ranma?  Can someone get him for dinner?"  Nabiki looked
around, and found no one moving at all.  Genma was too busy
gorging himself and crying.  Soun just looked as if he was
completely lost, and Akane probably did not want to see Ranma.
Shrugging her shoulders, Nabiki stood up, and headed to the guest
room.

      Nabiki gently knocked on the door.  No response.  Slightly
flustered, she knocked again, a little louder.  Still no
response.  She semi-shouted, "Hey Ranma, you ok...  Want dinner?"
The silence overwhelmed Nabiki.  Almost angered, she slammed the
door open, and found an empty room.  The only sound she could
hear was a sheet of paper fluttering in the cold breeze from the
open window.  There was no sign of Ranma.  Nabiki walked to the
table and looked at the paper, revealing a hastily written and
almost illegible scrawl.  'This has to be Ranma's.  Wait, oh no!'
Nabiki's mind flashed back to the message that she had left on
her desk almost five days ago.  Struggling hard, she managed to
read the message, which was poorly written, and covered with
scratchouts.

      "Dear Everyone:  Living in the Tendo Dojo for a year has
been fun, but recently I've felt it was my time to move on.  Bye,
and I thank Mr. Tendo for his hospitality."  Nabiki stood there
shocked.  Holding the message, she ran out to the hall, and
shouted really loud.

      "Hey, everyone come here!  There's something wrong!"  In a
flash, Soun, Genma, Kasumi, and Akane surrounded Nabiki.  "Oh
Nabiki what's wrong?  Where? Why? How?"

      Nabiki struggled to keep her emotions in check.  She sort
of succeeded "It's Ranma!"

      Genma paled.  "No he didn't!"

      "Yes he did..."

      Genma panicked.  "No!  He couldn't have!  By the way, what
did he do?"  Nabiki held out to Genma the note that Ranma left
behind.  Squinting hard at the incorrectly written kanji, Genma
slowly read out the message.  When he was done, everyone
panicked.  Genma had fallen to his knees with a loud thud.

      "Oh, will the gods have mercy on me?  Me, a lowly man
abandoned by his son!"  Genma screamed, tears flowing out of his
eyes.  Soun too joined the crying gallery.  "Oh the Anything Goes
School of Martial Arts shall die and not be passed to the next
generation...."  Both Soun and Genma were on the floor, allowing
their tears to flow wildly.  Akane just looked sad, and she
calmly walked into her room, and closed the door behind her.

      'That Dummy!'  Akane thought, as she threw herself onto her
bed, and allowed her pent up emotions to break out.  'Why must he
do this?  Why?  He definitely hates me.'  Feeling a depression
crushing her to the ground, she laid on her bed, and cried
herself to sleep.

      Kasumi, feeling sorry for her father, tried to comfort
him, leaving Nabiki with nothing to do.  She walked down the
stairs, and she grabbed her windbreaker as she ran out of the
Dojo.  `I've been so self centered, and I've almost destroyed my
home for pursuing Ranma.  I must fix the problem...'  Her guilt
served to push her faster...

* * *

      Nabiki ran about Nerima searching for Ranma.  Her mind was
already analytically crossing off a huge mental list of places
that Ranma could be hiding.  She crossed off the Neko Hanten,
Shampoo was just too hostile now.  She crossed off Ukyou's place,
she thought that Ranma wanted to be alone.  She glanced at the
sky, and her eyes landed on the moon, which was completely hidden
in clouds.

      After an hour or so, of fruitless wandering, Nabiki was
about to give up, when she luckily happened to stumble in on
Ranma's camp.  He was sleeping on the ground, wrapped only in his
jacket.  A small fire burned with an aura of depression.  Nabiki
quietly walked up to Ranma, and gently shook him awake.  He
grumbled, and looked up into Nabiki's wet eyes.

      Nabiki hugged him fiercely.  Ranma started to gasp from the
force of the hug.  Nabiki's emotions let out in a torrent.  "Oh
Ranma, thank god you are safe.  I thought you were going to do
the same thing I tried to do.  Everyone's worried.  Akane, Soun,
Genma, Kasumi..."  Ranma gulped hard, feeling the new sensations
that he felt for Nabiki grow stronger.  His mind struggled hard
and tried to comprehend them, but he couldn't.

      Nabiki blushed when she noticed Ranma staring at him, and
turned her head away slightly.  Unsettled by Ranma's attention,
she shifted slightly, and sat next to Ranma, the small fire
illuminating them in bursts of light.  Ranma gloomily stared at
the flickering flame, his face betraying his emotions.

      Sighing to himself, Ranma leaned back, and started to
speak, mostly to himself.  "Why does Pop have to be so harsh?
It's not my fault that the engagement is ruined!  It's Akane's
fault!  Why does she have to constantly beat me for having other
fiancees, and boom!  She goes out an gets flirty with the
boys..."  As Ranma spoke, his back slouched down and down.
Simultaneous, Nabiki started to feel guilt gnaw at her insides.
Uncomfortable, she shifted around nervously.

      Ranma continued, completely oblivious.  "Despite how she's
been and now that we are not together anymore, I finally have the
guts to say that I still love her."  Ranma stopped, thinking
about all the times that he could have said, "I love you to
Akane."  He looked upwards at the stars, his anger building up.
'Why can't I ever tell Akane?  Why can't I express my emotions?'
and sat back fighting back the pain that raged within.  Sighing,
Ranma laid down, and stared mindlessly at the sky.

      Nabiki, her face filled with worry, sat right next to
Ranma.  Ranma almost jumped away from her, but somehow, he
managed to stay put.  Nabiki looked at Ranma, and held his hands.
"Running away won't solve the problems Ranma."  Ranma looked down
at Nabiki, and gritted his teeth.

      "I know, but I can't face it.  I just can not do it."
Ranma leaned back, his face showing the humiliation of his
defeat, his first ever loss.  Every passing moment, his thoughts
continued to rip away at his insides and heart.  Ranma sighed
again, and stared at Nabiki.  "I guess you're right.  I'll give
it another shot."  Despite the predicament he was in, Ranma found
himself smiling at Nabiki.

      "Well, let's not wait here any longer!"  Nabiki stood up,
and moved to help Ranma pack his things.  Nabiki mentally kicked
herself.  'Where's my edge?  My drive?  I could have had Ranma
tonight for my own...  Why didn't I do a thing?'  Nabiki found
herself talking back, and she sighed.  Deep within her, she knew
that it was wrong that she should even desire Ranma.  Holding her
longing for Ranma in check, Nabiki and Ranma walked back to the
Tendo Dojo.

* * *
      "We're home!  I found Ranma!"  Nabiki shouted, as soon as
she entered opened the front door.  As soon as she finished her
words, everyone including Akane.  Immediately Soun and Genma,
decided to take the moral ground.

      "Ranma, my boy!  What were you thinking?  Were you trying
to escape your duties as a martial artist?"  Genma tried to bear
down on Ranma.  Ranma shrugged him off.  "I'm not gonna listen to
you right now, old man."

      'I have to do this right... I have to do this right...'
Ranma dreaded what he was going to do, but he knew that in the
end, that it would be right.  He turned to Akane, and he quietly
muttered.  "Can I see you privately?"  Akane almost took a step
back, for Ranma had not spoken directly to her for almost a week.


      Akane stoo