From: Donny Cheng 
Subject: [Ranma][FanFic] Another Time, Same Place - Prologue, Chapter 1


Disclaimer:  All characters portrayed in this story are the property of
Rumiko Takehashi and co.

C & C welcomed.


                       Another Time, Same Place

                                  by

                              Donny Cheng


                               Prologue

        Ranma jumped up and down excitedly.  Finally, he was going to
be cured.  He held the ancient amazon artifact up and gazed happily at
it.  It was a broach that granted the wearer one wish every one hundred
years.

        "Will you stop all that jumping around already?  We know how
happy you are.  Just make the wish and be done with it."  Akane glared
at Ranma, but inwardly she was just as happy for him.

        Ryoga and Mousse looked at Ranma with disdain.  Mousse looked
at Ranma crossly, "Just be sure to say the wish correctly.  Shampoo and
I do want to be cured also."

        "Don't worry Mousse.  I got it covered.  I know exactly what to
say."  Ranma couldn't help but feel optimistic after all that had
happened over the past year.  To think that Cologne had been keeping
them in the dark about this artifact.  She probably wanted to use the
wish herself.

        "Yeah, stupid Mousse.  Airen can do it."  Fortunately, Shampoo
found out about the artifact.  She had been looking through a book
filled with descriptions of artifacts and spells that could help her
win Ranma.  She came across a listing of various items that granted
wishes, including the broach, and it's last known owner was none other
that Cologne.  She also discovered that the broach was stored in China.
Ranma had then tricked Kuno into taking a certain 'pig-tailed girl' on
a supposed romantic trip to China.  Naturally, this ended up with all
the various Nerima residents joining them and wanting a piece of the
wish.

        Ranma carefully and happily pinned the broach to his shirt.  He
then placed list with the names of the Nerima residents upon it.  "I,
Saotome Ranma, wish for those, whose names are on this list, to be
happy."

        A bright flash of light surrounded Ranma.  Smoke emitted out
from around the light.  When it cleared, Ranma was gone.

        Cologne had at that moment caught up with stunned group.  "No
wait, son-in-law.  Do not make that wish."  She was of course too late.
"Idiot.  I told you that wish was not to be used."

        Shampoo stared in shock as her beloved disappeared.  "What
happened great-grandmother.  Where Ranma?"

        Cologne could only shake her head in sadness.  "That broach was
cursed.  Oh, it did grant wishes, but only in a way that would help the
wearer the least.  The curse had already taken effect the moment Ranma
touched the broach.  There is nothing we can do now.  That fool boy is
lost to us.  We have to return to Japan.  We can not return to
Joketsuzoku now.  There is no way for us to regain our honor."  She
turned to leave, but noticed Shampoo staying behind.  Seeing Shampoo
crying, Cologne did not have the heart to make her leave Ranma's final
resting ground just yet.

        The Nerima residents could only stare in shock.  The boys were
strangely quiet.  They did not feel at all happy at Ranma's fate, for
he died trying to make all of their dreams come true.  His love
interests all cried and unknowingly drew closer to each other for
comfort as they were the ones that loved Ranma the most.  Soun's tears
would not stop as Kasumi and Nabiki tried to comfort him.  Genma and
Nodoka held each other closely.  Happosai had fainted.  The truth had
finally sunk in.  Ranma was gone.

                               * * * * *

        Happosai sat alone in the small grove where his most beloved
Ranma-chan had last disappeared.  He was now the last to believe in the
eventual return of Ranma.  Ranma's fiancees were to last to leave.
Cologne had decided enough was enough and dragged them kicking and
screaming back to Nerima.  Happosai sighed and settled down
comfortably.  It would be a long wait.

                               * * * * *

        Kodachi moaned.  She tried moving her hands.  Again, she found
that she could not.  The jacket she wore restricted any such movements.
Why would they not let her end her life?  Her Ranma-sama was gone.  His
beautiful face would never grace the world again.  She then cried.  It
was not the first nor the last time she would cry, for a long time.

        Sometime much later, on a typical normal day, a doctor at the
asylum found Kodachi dead with a smile on her face.

                               * * * * *

                 Chapter One: Here comes Ranma again.

        "Get off of me, you old lech."  Ranma glared at the aged master
of Anything Goes.

        Happosai had tears in his eyes as he again leaped towards
Ranma.  "I still can't believe you're back!  Oh, how Happy has missed
you."

        Ranma sighed as he finally relented and gave the pervert a bra
that he kept in his pocket for emergencies such as these.  The lech
immediately grabbed it and nuzzled it to his face.  Ranma shuddered.
He looked around him and noticed he was alone.  From what he had
learned from the master some time had passed in the world.  That would
explain why everyone wasn't here.  He just wondered how much time had
passed.  He looked towards Happosai and grudgingly smiled.  The pervert
had been the only one who waited for his return and Ranma couldn't help
but feel grateful.  He went over to pick the master up and started the
long journey home.

                               * * * * *

        Ranma breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath as she
reached the shore.  She made it back on Japan.  She glared at the old
man nestled between her breasts.  "You can let go of me now.  We're
back in Japan."  When Happosai didn't comply, Ranma forcefully punted
him away.  That would be the last time Ranma felt sorry for the old
lech.  She thought back to all the mobs that chased her through China
and of the long swim home.  She didn't understand how the pervert could
survive under water for such a long time.  Ranma felt her debt of
gratitude had been paid in full to Happosai, after all of the things
the pervert had put her through.  Now was the time to go back to
Nerima.

                               * * * * *

        Wow!  Ranma thought to herself.  Furinken sure had changed
since she left.  Her first stop in Nerima was the school.  At the
moment it was in the middle of a school day.  She hoped to catch her
old friends first.  She looked around the school.  The school seemed to
have been converted into a large dojo.  There was even an arena in the
middle of the campus.

                               * * * * *

        Perfume raised her hand victoriously as she punted another
challenger away.  She smiled as she knew she would win the tenth annual
Furinken high martial arts tournament for the fourth time in a row.
She had been competing even before she finally enrolled this year.
There was no one in her age group in Nerima that could defeat her.  She
patiently waited for the next challenger to come up.  It was Hibiki
Ryoko next.  Perfume grimaced.  She did not want to fight her best
friend again.

        Ryoko sighed as she warmed up for her match with Perfume.
Damned her grandfather.  Why did he always want her to fight Perfume?
Couldn't he see that she and Perfume were best friends?  Who cared who
was the strongest martial artist in Nerima?  Ryoko looked up at Perfume
sadly.  Their respective prides as martial artists forbade them to let
the other win.  With that thought in mind, Ryoko charged at Perfume.

                               * * * * *

        "The next challenger is from the Hibiki School of Anything
Goes, Ryoko Hibiki."  There was a great cheer from the audience.  This
proved to be a good match.

        Ranma's ears perked at what the announcer had said.  "The
Hibiki School of Anything Goes?  Nah!  I couldn't be that Ryoga has
started his own school.  That girl up there looks like she is the same
age as him.  It must be another branch of Anything Goes that Happosai
never told us about."  Ranma then did a double take.  The girl looked
almost exactly like Akane.  The only difference was that her hair had
brownish tints in it instead of blue and she had fangs.  Ranma
approached the arena to watch the fight.  It was not going well for the
girl, named Ryoko.  The other combatant, also a girl, was clearly the
better of the two.  She had an exotic face with long black hair.  Her
catlike eyes were her most distinctive features.  With a mighty yell,
Ryoko again charged at the other girl, only to be flung out of the
ring.  Ranma stared.  The girl was going to land pretty badly.  She
quickly jumped and intercepted the girl.

                               * * * * *

        Perfume grabbed Ryoko's outstretched arm and with practiced
ease, threw her away.  Oh no!  She had accidentally used too much
force.  Ryoko was going the hit ground very hard.  She was about to see
if her friend was going to be okay, when suddenly a red blur
intercepted Ryoko and landed safely on the ground.  It was Ranko that
saved Ryoko.  No wait!  The girl couldn't have been her friend.  The
mysterious girl had red hair and appeared to be a lot younger.  Also,
Ranko wouldn't be caught dead wearing such male clothing with her hair
tied in a pigtail.

        Ryoko struggled in the arms of the girl that saved her.  Anger
overwhelmed her.  Who dared interfere in her battle?  She looked in
shock at her savior.  The person looked exactly like a younger Ranko
with red highlights.  She recovered from her shock and yelled at the
girl.  "Who do you think you are?  You can't interfere in a match
between two people"

        Ranma looked at the girl incredulously.  "What?  If I hadn't
just saved you right now, you would have been hurt.  Man, what macho
tomboys you girls are."

        Ryoko's eyebrow twitched.  If there was one thing she hated
more than fighting her friend, it was her femininity being made fun of.
She grabbed the rude girl by the collar and punted her away.

        Perfume watched as Ryoko kicked the girls towards her.  Good.
She too wanted to punish the girl for her poorly chosen words.  "Since,
you are on the arena, you are now my next challenger.  Prepare
yourself."

        "What?  I can't fight you.  I don't like to hit girls."  Ranma
then tried to jump off the arena.

        Perfume blocked her way.  "You're a girl yourself, dummy.  I
think you're just using that as an excuse because you're afraid of what
I will do to you."  Perfume smiled as the pig tailed girl bristled at
her comment and got into a martial arts stance.  "I am, Perfume, heir
to the School of Chinese Amazon Martial Arts."

        Ranma was too stunned by what Perfume had said to answer.  Did
she say Chinese Amazon?  Instead, Ranma mumbled out, "I'm Ranma."
Dazed by the Chinese girl's comments, Ranma barely dodged her attack.
She quickly gathered her wits and prepared for Perfume's next onslaught
of attacks.

                               * * * * *

        Perfume was getting frustrated.  This Ranma was matching her
speed for speed.  Ranma did not attack back, instead she only dodging
and blocking her attacks.  She didn't think there was anyone who could
compare with her in that department other then her parents and
great-great-grandmother.  She had thought this would have been an easy
fight.  It looked like she couldn't afford to go easy on the girl and
setup for her special attacks.  Charging at Ranma, she yelled, "Katchu
tenshin amaguriken!"

        Ranma was again shocked as she heard Perfume utter the words of
the technique Cologne had taught her.  Hundreds of blows landed on her.
However, Ranma was conditioned to be able to withstand a certain amount
damage.  She staggered slightly and gazed at the girl evenly.  There
was no way she was going to be caught off by a girl again.

                               * * * * *

        Ryoko joined up with the rest of her friends as she watched the
fight unfold.  Yukio and Yuu stood to her right.  "Wow, that Ranma sure
is good."  They were twin brother and sister and tended to say the
things at the same time.  Other that for a few minor differences, Yukio
looked like her father, while Yuu looked like his mother.  Their father
looked feminine and their mother looked masculine.  That was one weird
family.

        To Ryoko's left were her cousins Tatewaki and Kasuga.  Tatewaki
snorted as he watched the battle.  Though inwardly, he was very
impressed.  He shared both his father's and mother's features in both
physical and mental aspects respectively.  With his skills he was
easily the best male fighter in Nerima, but he still fell behind Ryoko
and Perfume.  He prided himself on his skill with the bokken and his
skill with the Tendo School of Anything Goes.  He gazed at Ranma with
an analytical eye.  What he saw could help him in his battle to win the
heart of Perfume.  His mother had taught him to always look for the
advantage.

        Kasuga smiled at the battle going on.  Oh my!  I do hope they
don't get hurt.  That reminded him, he had to tend to Ryoko's wounds.
Kasuga picked up his first aid kit and watched over his cousin.  His
mother had always taught him to be nice and courteous, while his father
taught him some of the skills he would need to help others.  He
couldn't help but glance at the girl atop the arena.  She reminded him
of Ranko.  Sigh.  There was a sickening crunch.

        Ryoko bopped her cousin on the head angrily.  "Stop thinking of
Ranko already."  She hated when Kasuga did that.  He was the spitting
image of his father when he was like that.  Her bones were quickly
snapped back into place as Kasuga looked at her sheepishly.  Ryoko
relented.  Nobody could get mad at Kasuga for long.  He was just too
much like his mother.  She instead turned her concentration back at the
fight.

                               * * * * *

        Perfume sank too her knees.  She was getting tired.  After she
had first hit Ranma with the chestnut fist, she was sure she would win.
Incredibly, Ranma was able to withstand the five hundred punches.  When
she tried to use the move again, Ranma had yelled out "Katchu tenshin
amaguriken revised!"  Ranma managed to block all of her punches with
that technique.  She was feeling depressed at the moment.  It was time
to use the other move her great-great-grandmother had helped her learn.
She gathered up her chi and fired a shi shi hokodan at the offending
girl.

        Amazingly the girl just smirked and blocked with her own chi
blast.  Perfume was ready to cry.  Was there any way for her to win?
With half a heart, she charged the girl again.

        Though Ranma didn't show it on the outside, she was very tired.
This girl was giving her the toughest fight she had ever had.  This
girl was just as fast, if not faster, as she was.  She could barely
dodge Perfume's attacks and had to actually block many of them.  Her
arms hurt from all that blocking.  She could see the frustration on the
girl's face when she didn't attack her.  An angry opponent was much
easier to fight since they often made more mistakes.  Ranma had then
purposely went on the defensive to make the girl madder.  Her body paid
the price as a result.  She fought the urge to rub his sore arms and
forced herself to appear more confident than she felt.  Her confidence
grew as she saw the girl prepare a chi blast.  Now for the final
demoralizing blow.  She blocked the blast with her moko takabisha.

        Perfume gazed at Ranma with undisguised hatred and ran right at
her, ignoring all her training.

        Ranma smiled.  This was what she had been waiting for.  She
sidestepped out of the enraged girl's way.  Perfume fell out of the
ring.  Perfume had lost.  That was when the chaos started.

                               * * * * *

        The parents looked worriedly at the prone bodies of all the
children lying about the Tendo dojo.  They were all hurt pretty bad.

        Cologne was angry.  Who could have done this to the greatest
group of young martial arts talent ever assembled?  From what Perfume's
incoherent ramblings had told her it was a girl about the same age as
they were.  The girl was also using Chinese Amazon Martial Arts.  When
the children had seen how the girl had humiliated Perfume, they had all
charged the arena.  They had then fallen prey to the hiryu shoten ha
technique.  With so much anger, the resulting tornado lasted a full ten
minutes.  In fact the user, herself was also flung away by the power of
the technique.  Could it be an amazon from Joketsuzoku?  Cologne had
not been back in China for a long time, so that was a possibility.  It
was then the doors to the dojo slid open.

        Ranma, still in girl form, staggered in.  "Hey, everybody I'm
back!"  Ranma then noticed the stares from all his old friends.  She
also noted that her 'old' friends were a lot older than from what she
remembered and that they were tending to the people who had tried to
beat her up before.  Ranma fainted.

                               * * * * *

        Ranma awoke to find himself surrounded by his friends and the
people he had fought earlier in the day.  He was in male form.  "What
the hell is going on around here."

        Cologne then hopped over to him on her staff.  She had a glint
in her eye as she smirked.  "Ranma, I assume that you don't know that
twenty years have passed since made the wish with that cursed broach.
Still dense as always.  Didn't it ever occur to you to find out what
the date was?  No, I thought not."

        Ranma tried his best to ignore the glances given to him by most
of the children in the room.  There seemed to be open hostility on him
by most of the girls and boys.  However, he couldn't help but hear some
of what was being said about him.

        "That's the evil boy, Father was telling me that tried to steal
mother from him."  "You too?  Dad told me the same thing.  I can't
believe we didn't recognize him until now."  "Father has told me of his
treacherous ways, but alas I will not condemn a man until I see it with
mine own eyes."  "Oh my!  Tatewaki is right.  We shouldn't judge him
yet."  "I don't know, but I think he's cute.  Mom was right about him."
"I know what you mean, brother.  His girl form's not bad either."

Cologne ignored the hushed gossiping.  "Since your unexpected return, I
have discovered what happened after you made the wish.  Your wish was
for everyone to be happy.  Well it seems your wish was granted.  The
broach brought you to a time and place when everyone got what they
desired the most.  Though they may not be the same desires when the
wish was first made, it hardly made any difference as you are now
here."

        Ranma could not believe what he was hearing.  "What?!  It took
twenty years for everyone to be happy.  Who could possibly stay sad for
twenty years?"

        Cologne sighed.  "It was Kodachi.  She had never given up on
you.  Her obsession with you caused her to snap and she was put in a
mental institution.  She died three months ago, finally at peace with
herself.  That was when you came back, I assume."  Ranma shoulders
slumped at hearing this.  Nodoka hugged her son tightly to comfort him.

        Soun and Genma quickly came over and grabbed Ranma while they
cried.  Soun was the first to speak.  "Ranma, you're back.  Now the two
schools of Anything Goes can finally be united.  Here is my fourth
daughter, Meiko, age sixteen."  Soun grabbed a girl that resembled
Hinako sensei and put her in front of him.  In fact the girl looked to
be a younger or older version of Hinako sensei.  A pair of hand's
bopped Soun on the head.  Nodoka did the same to Genma.

        Hinako grabbed Soun by the ears and admonished him.  "Honey,
you're scaring Meiko.  You've got to forgive him, Ranma-kun.  He's just
excited to see you, that's all."

        "Ms. Hinako?  You're... you're not small anymore!"  Ranma
tensed himself as if awaiting a blast of chi from his former teacher.
His body had gotten used to it every time he saw her in her adult form.

"You can relax, Ranma.  I won't be blasting you anytime soon.  My
husband, Soun, has cured me.  Yes, that means I can't absorb chi
anymore.  I knew you would be the most happy at hearing that bit of
news."

        Meiko blushed furiously as she had remembered how her father
spent his nights 'curing' Hinako.  That had been how they came to have
her as Nabiki had been fond to tease her.

        Genma escaped his wife and again grabbed Ranma.  "Boy, the
engagement between you and one of the Tendo daughters had never been
broken.  So, your new fiancee is now Meiko."

        A girl that appeared to look exactly like Ranma's girl form
calmly tugged his father away.  "Do not listen to what father says.
I'm Ranko, your younger sister.  Actually, I think I'm older than you.
I'm eighteen.  I always wanted to meet my famous brother after hearing
so much about him."

        Ranma's head was spinning with all these introductions being
made all at once.  He felt another person tap him on the shoulder.  It
was Cologne.  "Well, Ranma, it is nice to see you again.  Or should I
call you, son-in-law.  I've heard of how you have defeated Perfume in
battle."

        Perfume glared at Ranma angrily as she spoke to Cologne.
"Great-great-grandmother, those amazon traditions are old fashioned.  I
won't marry that creep just because he defeated me.  Besides, he is not
an outsider to Nerima."

        Shampoo and Mousse took hold of their daughter before she could
say anything more.  Shampoo looked at Ranma affectionately.  "I am
sorry for my daughter's outburst and for thrusting such hardship on you
once again.  I'm sorry but amazon traditions does force me to engage
you to her.  You were not here when she was born and have not been
since the fight.  Great-grandmother thinks that is sufficient enough to
qualify as an outsider."

        Mousse smirked at Ranma in a very condescending way.  "First
Shampoo.  Now my daughter?  Have you no shame Saotome?"

        Ryoga, who on the sidelines until now, spoke up, "Heh, first
day back and he starts picking up all sorts of women.  Once a
womanizer, always a womanizer."

        Kuno sniffed and turned his nose up at Ranma.  "True, Hibiki.
Very true.  The cad is showing his true colors all over again."

        "Knock, it off you jackasses.  He just got back from that dumb
wish he made for us or don't you remember?"  Ukyo growled at the three
men.

        Actually, they did remember.  Ranma spent twenty years away
from his family because of a wish he made for the all of them.  What
does a grown man say to a person after that?  The best they could do
was just act the way they always have with him.  It helped them forget
that it ever happened.

        Ukyo gave the men a withering glare until they finally relented
and reluctantly backed off.  She knew that they had grown into fine men
in the twenty years that she had known them, but some things were hard
to let go.  It was hard to face a once hated rival as a friend.  It was
also equally hard facing a person you once loved as only a friend.
"Hi, Ranchan.  Long time no see.  Well for me anyway.  Those two over
there are Konatsu's and my children.  They're twins."

        Konatsu, wearing a more masculine garb than Ranma last
remembered, smiled warmly and gently prodded the two children nearby to
walk forward.  "This is Yuu and this is Yukio."

        Yuu gave Ranma an appreciative look over.  Very nice.  "Nice to
meet you Ranma-sama."

        Yukio repeated her brother's words almost simultaneously.  She
resisted the urge to fling a glass of water at the handsome boy in
front of her.  A Ranko that wasn't taken yet.  Well, Meiko and Perfume
didn't count.  They all just met Ranma, so it should be first come
first serve.

        Ranma did not like the glances he was receiving from the pair.
Especially from Yuu.  "Hi," Ranma weakly muttered out.

        Akane was the next to talk.  She couldn't think of what to say.
It had taken her a long time to admit that she loved him and then
finally get over him.  To see him again, put all her emotions in a
whirl.  She tried sorting them out and found the simple truth that she
had been looking for.  She had gotten over him.  She still loved him
but no longer in that way.  "It's good to see you again, Ranma.  It's
nice to know that I'm given a second chance to prove you wrong.  I am a
martial artist and I can cook too."

        Ranma couldn't believe his eyes at Akane's appearance.  She
looked very matronly with her hair long again and wearing an apron.  He
felt a stab of pain in his heart when he noticed her hand enveloped
between Ryoga's fingers.  Fighting for his voice and losing.  He only
nodded in agreement with Akane.

        Ryoga felt a wave of relief as he felt Akane's comforting touch
on his hand.  He scolded himself silently for even doubting his wife of
seventeen years.  He saw the look on Ranma's face and thought that must
have been how he looked like when Akane discovered his curse.  It took
over a year of sleeping on the Tendo roof in the rain guarding his
precious Akane, being punted into the air at any given moment, and
hearing her cry in her sleep before she had finally forgiven him.

        Ryoga did something he thought he never would.  He walked over
and shook Ranma's hand.  "Sorry about what I said earlier.  Old habits
die hard.  We have two children.  That one over there is Ryoko and the
little one is Eiko."

        Ryoko's visage softened at the interplay between her parents
and Ranma.  Was he going to cry?  The almighty Ranma of myth?

        "I am not little!  I am nearly five!"  Eiko scowled at her
daddy.

        Ranma finally found his voice and smiled at the little cute
bundle of energy that was in front of him.  "Wow!  Five?  Really?  You
look almost six!"

        Akane and Ryoga instantly frowned as the look on their
daughter's face suddenly lit up.  All things forgotten, they looked at
each other and nodded.  That pervert better not touch their daughter.

        Eiko didn't know why, but she suddenly had the urge to hug the
stranger that everyone was paying attention to.  At first she resented
the idea that someone was receiving more attention than here, but she
now knew why.  He deserved it.

        

        Ranma nearly doubled over at the strength the little girl
possessed.  A daughter of both Akane and Ryoga explained everything.

        Nabiki couldn't resist the urge to tease her former source of
money and fun.  "Another one, Ranma?  You work even faster than I can
believe.  You can't believe how bad it is for me to see you again.
Another reminder of my age.  Why, I even have a son as old as you.
Tatewaki, come here and meet your uncle Ranma."

        Tatewaki bowed low.  "An honor Ranma-san.  I have heard much of
you from both my parent.  Some I hope are true and others not."

        Ranma was surprised to hear the sincerity in the younger Kuno's
voice.  Sure he was similar to Kuno in speech and looks, but very
different at the same time.  How far could the apple have fallen from
the tree?  "Uh... thanks, I think.  Maybe we can spar some time."

        Next to Tatewaki was Kasuga.  Like the former, he bore a
striking resemblance to his father, Tofu.  "Hi, I'm Kasuga.  Mother and
father are still at the clinic right now, but I'm sure they will be
happy to see you tomorrow."

        Ranma was proud of himself that his shock wasn't that
noticeable.  It was almost as if it were a male Kasumi in front of him.
"I can meet them later.  Don't worry about it.  Wow, I can't believe
how everything's changed."

        "I know everything is new to you right now, but you will get
the hang of everything after awhile."  Nodoka gave her son another hug.
"We've prepared a dinner while you fai... I mean asleep."  Fainting was
not a manly act.  Her son would never do such a thing.

        "Great, I'm starving."  Ranma felt that was the best news he
heard all day.

        "That's good Ranma.  Auntie helped me make a lot of food.  Heh,
I can show you what twenty years of cooking has taught me!"  Akane
smiled, oblivious the Ryoko's and Eiko's cringing.

        "Thanks, Akane.  I can't wait."  Ranma was eager to taste what
Akane made for him.  He remembered that she was improving, especially
with her curry dish.

        "Daddy usually cooks, doesn't he?"  Eiko managed to let go of
Ranma long enough to whisper her question to Ryoko.

        Ryoko shivered.  "Mom hasn't cooked in about a year and even
then she rarely did it."

        A moment later, sounds of a mallet hitting hard skull could be
heard.

                               * * * * *

        "Stupid Akane... Why'd she have to go and hit me for?  I
complemented on her curry, didn't I?"

        

        Ryoko calmly removed her mallet from Ranma's head.  "Don't call
my mom stupid.  Besides, 'edible' is not exactly a compliment."

        "Enough talking already.  Class has begun.  Since, Ranma is new
here, Mousse and Kuno are going to help me demonstrate today."  Ryoga
cracked his knuckles in anticipation.  Twenty years was a long time to
wait.  His two old friends were also grinning.

        "What can you guys possibly teach me?  The last time I
remembered, I could beat you with both hands behind my back."  Ranma
gave them a confidant grin.

        "We'll see," Ryoga said simply.  He then proceeded to pound
Ranma into the ground in under five minutes.  Mousse and Kuno took
about six minutes to do the same on their turn.

        "Ranma's pretty good, isn't he?  You can't even go near any of
the daddies."  Eiko commented to her older sister and Perfume.

        Ryoka and Perfume growled at the younger Hibiki's bad choice of
words even if they were true.  Ranma had been holding back against her,
Perfume noted.  He was going to have to be taught a lesson about
treating her like an inferior opponent.

        "Very good," Yuu agreed.  "He's quite a guy."

        "I thought you might like him, brother.  His girl form wasn't
bad also at the tournament.  I would say she was faster."  Yukio
commented as she stopped in mid kata to watch the fight come to an end.

                               * * * * *

        So engrossed were everybody in the fight they did not notice
Meiko entering the dojo.  She did not usually participate in the
practice as she had yet to develop her control over the abnormal
amounts of chi in her body.  She didn't want to accidentally blast any
of her friends with an errant chi blast.  Dr. Tofo explained that she
was conceived during the month that her father cured Mother.  Meaning
that her mother was filled with battle aura at the time and some of it
transferred to her.

        She watched in fascination as Ranma fought against Kuno.  All
through her life, she had heard stories of Ranma's exploits.  To see
him in person had been a shock.  He was every bit the delinquent her
mother said he was.  But there was more to him than that.  She watched
his every move since he came into her life.  She felt his sadness as he
watched her sister, Akane hold onto his former rival, Ryoga.  She noted
his kindness towards her niece.  All in all, not a bad person to be
engaged to.

                               * * * * *

        Ranma was immediately up on his feet again after Kuno's bokken
nearly broke a rib.  He couldn't believe twenty years let even Kuno of
all people beat him.  He couldn't even take advantage of their
weaknesses anymore.  Ryoga's gotten over his curse, Mousse's hearing
compensated even for his poor eyesight when Ranma knocked the glasses
off, and Kuno knew about his cursed form now.  Worst of all, the jerks
were all too happy to get mad at him anymore.

        Ryoga, Mousse, and Kuno all looked at each other and sighed
contentedly.  If they were the type that smoked, cigars would have been
passed all around them.  "Come back in another twenty years, Ranma.
Maybe then you'll be a match for us old doddering fogies."

        Tatewaki could tell things were going to become ugly when he
saw the murderous look on Ranma's face.  "Perhaps, Saotome would like
to spar with me now?"

        Ranma's attention turned to the younger Kuno.  He was dressed
in a similar kendo garb as his father.  From what he had heard,
Tatewaki was the third best of the children here.  This fight should
boost his ego a bit.  A minute into the fight, Ranma was surprised to
find himself absolutely wrong.  He tried using his same tactic against
Tatewaki as he used against the older Kuno.  To his shock, he felt a
flurry of attacks rain in on him as he closed in.  It seemed Tatewaki
was well versed in both kendo and kempo and used them simultaneously in
his own style.

        Tatewaki staggered back at Ranma's burst of speed.  Ranma was
not fooled by the use of kempo and brought the fight to him.  Even with
kempo, he had trouble matching Ranma speed for speed in close combat.

        Ranma breathed deeply and relaxed his stance.  That boy was
good.  Nearly as good as him.  He could have sworn that he was also
closer to Perfume's skill than from what he heard.  After all he had
fought them both.  Maybe, Tatewaki was more similar to his father than
Ranma first fought.  Tatewaki quite possibly tended to let up when
fighting a girl.

        Kasuga noticed Ranma alternatively staring between Perfume and
his cousin, Tatewaki.  Ranma was very perceptive when it came to the
art.  He quickly caught Ranma's eye, nodded, and put a finger to his
lips indicating that he knew of Tatewaki's skill and the secrecy of it.
His poor cousin could never fight well against girls.  Ryoko and
Perfume subsequently win over him every time.

        "Did Tatewaki look a little better to you?"  Ryoko asked
Perfume suspiciously.

        Perfume was just about to ask the same question.  Tatewaki
lasted much longer against Ranma than she did herself back at the
tournament.  However, she had been fighting the whole day was may have
been a little tired.  She decided that maybe it was time to have a
little chat with Tatewaki a little later.

        "I think that will be enough for today.  Not everyone has your
recovery ability.  Honestly, swimming from china, fighting in the
tournament, fighting against the three of us, and now against Tatewaki,
and I bet you're still not tired."  Ryoga shook his head in disgust.
He always wondered how Ranma was able to do that.

        "I can show you you're room, Ranma!"  Eiko jumped up excitedly
and eagerly grabbed Ranma's hand.

        "Aren't I going to live with Mom and Dad?" Ranma asked.

        "They left with Ranko back home right after dinner.  You live
right next door from us.  I go there all the time, so I can show you to
your room," Eiko explained.  "Maybe, mom will let me have a sleep
over."

        "No, little one.  My sister won't allow it," Meiko said from
the sidelines.  "It's past your bed time right now.  Off you go to bed.
I will show Ranma-kun to his house."

        "Oh my!  Meiko, it isn't decent for a woman to be out alone at
night with a man."  Kasuga gently admonished his aunt.

        "Kasuga's right.  I will show him out.  I know the Saotome home
very well."  Yuu quickly grabbed onto Ranma by the arm.

        "I will help my brother with his task.  Oops, sorry about that
Ranchan."  Yukio gave an exaggerated gasp as she 'accidentally' tripped
and splashed the glass of water she had been drinking all over Ranma.

        "Heh, Ryoko, I think Father was right.  The BOY is really as
they said."  Perfume could not believe that her great-grandmother
wanted her to marry that womanizing, half-girl boy.

        "I agree with you Perfume, one hundred percent," Ryoko nodded.

        Ranma just held his head and ignored the chuckling of his
former rivals.

                               * * * * *


To be continued...


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