Foreword: Sorry about the alerts. Shuffling stuff around for spring cleaning.

Age of Titans
By Ozzallos


Prologue


Furuhata Motoki stared at the charred rubble surrounding him, the remnants of what was left of the establishment once known as the Crown Arcade. He shook his head with a sigh, picking up yet another destroyed piece of furniture. This one appeared to be a chair. Maybe. If it weren't so blackened and warped from exposure to high temperatures, he'd have been able to tell for certain. Didn't matter anymore, he thought, tossing it into the box where similar other discards now resided. Regardless of what it had been, it was junk now.

Whatever else could be said about the Senshi and their anti-Youma activities, they were certainly thorough. Sure, it probably wasn't their fault that the demon had chosen to attack right outside the Crown, but the collateral damage the Senshi's battle had created was quite… extensive. So extensive that the place probably wouldn't be able to open for months. Half the front wall was gone, most of the furnishings gutted and a good portion of the arcade demolished. Furuhata swept another pile of glass and brimstone into a waiting dustpan. All in all, it was amazing that they hadn't gone out of business years ago.

It was also damn miracle he even still had a job.

The crackle of rubble buckling beneath an anonymous foot caught his attention, causing the blond to turn around while wondering just who would visit the arcade in its current state. Furuhata's eyes widened as they fell upon his visitor. "Oh, hi boss!"

A diminutive four foot, eleven inch redhead picked through the maze of rubble, studying the damage with a neutral expression. She flicked her errant ponytail back over her shoulder as she stepped around the remains of a shattered table. "Didn't leave much, did they, Furu-kun?"

Mokoti nodded. "I would have stopped them, but getting between a pack of youma and the Senshi didn't seem like a good idea, Ms. Saotome."

The redhead smoothed out her tan slacks after stepping over another pile of rubble that had one been part of the ceiling. She smiled slightly at the young man's dry humor. "Good call. What are we looking at here?"

"Not much left." He shrugged. "We're lucky the water is still running. Finding a place to drink it, on the other hand…"

"Think I get the idea." The woman bent over, picking up a mangled picture frame. The picture therein was little more than carbonized cinders. "Damn, and I liked this one too…"

"Took out most of the east wall." Furuhata added sullenly. "I don't see us opening back up any time soon." He picked up another piece of the trashed arcade and tossed it half-heartedly into the bin. "I'm really sorry about this, Ms. Saotome."

"Don't worry about that, Furu-kun." His employer waved away his self-admonishing tone. "Stuff like this happens. Not your fault."

On one hand the blond was relieved that his boss wasn't about to bite his head off for something totally out of his control, though he should have been used to her calm demeanor after five years under her employment. She simply didn't get mad, as if the very act were contrary to her soothing nature. And God only knew why she was still single, for that matter. The twenty-six year old redhead was absolutely stunning enough to make nearly any man look twice, yet she didn't go out of her way to flaunt it. On the other hand, she was almost too calm. Surreally so. Things like youma attacks and Senshi hopping around Juuban simply didn't faze her. He'd almost accuse her of being the oblivious sort if not for the fact that she was running a successful business and he had seen her intelligence in action first hand.

"So…" He began tentatively as she surveyed the ruin. "Who do we call first, the insurance companies or the contractors?"

His boss seemed to think about it for a moment, then reached into her powder blue sports jacket. "General contractors will take too long." She replied, pulling a business card from the breast pocket. "We need a specialist. Call her. She'll know what to do."

Furuhata Motoki took the card with some measure of curiosity. Exactly who would help them clean up after a battle between the Sailor Senshi and otherworldly demonic forces in an expedient manner? He studied the card and the gold leaf name printed on it.

"Nabiki Tendo?"


Age of Titans
By Ozzallos
Editor- Quizer
Backup- Yarrow, DCG


Chapter One


The Path Taken,
Regret not.
Forward.
Moving Time.

"Hi, Miss Saotome!"

The redhead behind the counter turned away from her conversation to the chorus of greetings that accompanied the door chime of the Crown, and couldn't help but to smile. Not only was it good to see business pick back up after the rebuilding of the arcade, but it was nice to see the familiar faces as well. Especially these familiar faces. "Hello girls, nice to see you again. Be with you in a moment!"

Ranma turned back to Nabiki Tendo, who was peering over her shoulder at the girls in question, then returned to the redhead before her. "They wouldn't happen to be…?"

The owner of the crown arcade nodded with a peaceful smile, her eyes full of mischief. "Yes. That's them."

The middle Tendo's own eyes began to glitter with avarice. "Are you sure they don't need…?"

She was cut off with the simple shake of Ranma's head. "Not yet."

Nabiki let a labored sigh escape her lips. "You tempt me, Saotome. You sorely tempt me."

An amused chuckle burbled from the Saotome. "I know you better than that, Nabiki-chan. Now if you're done stalking my regulars, let's talk about your payment."

"Really, now." The sister offered dryly. "And I thought you knew me better than that."

It was Ranma's turn to sigh now, and she took the moment to put a single finger to her lips thoughtfully. The moment passed and she pulled a small pocket book from beneath the counter top. "Don't make this difficult, Na-chan."

"It's a simple concept, Ranma-kun." Nabiki admonished with mock sternness. "Your money is no good to me."

Ranma's grip on the pocket book wavered slightly as if mirroring her exasperation on a well tread subject. "I'll not be a freeloader, Nabiki."

The Tendo rolled her eyes. "Haven't we beat this horse into the ground enough, Ranma?"

"Call it a point of principle." The redhead replied. "You render a service, I pay. Simple."

Nabiki began to rub her left temple, as if an excruciating pain were running along it. "Alright, if you want to pay for services rendered, have dinner with us."

"How about Suko's?" Ranma smiled pleasantly. "They have an excellent—"

"At the dojo."

The smile dropped off Ranma's face immediately in favor of a neutral expression. "I'm not so sure…"

"You wanted to pay so badly, that's the deal." Nabiki's grin was almost feral in nature. "See you around seven, Thursday?"

Ranma simply dealt her the neutral stare that served to communicate her displeasure. "You're not going to let me out of this are you?"

"Nope." The woman formerly known as Furinkan's Ice Queen shrugged. "Besides, what fun are buttons if you can't push them every now and then?"

"I can't say I'm thrilled." Ranma managed, tugging at the sleeve of her beige petticoat. "Are you sure you won't accept double?"

The smile she received crushed all hope of getting out of the dinner. "Not a chance."

"Fine." Ranma hung her head in defeat. "Just make sure—"

"I can't believe you did it, Miss Saotome!" Ranma turned back to the counter to find a blond haired, blue eyed girl in odangos and a school uniform staring at the interior of the Crown with wide eyes. She was flanked by two friends; another blonde teen and one with cobalt blue hair. "I thought the Arcade was gone for sure!"

"And rebuilt in only a week…" The shorter haired girl commented with nearly the same amount of incredulity in her voice.

Ranma's smile widened with pride. "Thank you girls. I owe that feat to one of my best friends, Nabiki."

"You sorely tempt me, Saotome." She grumbled before putting on her own smile. "Very nice to meet you…?"

"This is Usagi, Ami and Minako." Ranma made introductions, and the girls made slight bows as she ticked off the names. Then she winked conspiratorially at Nabiki. "They very nearly keep me in business all by themselves, especially Usagi-chan."

Usagi's friends smirked and filed the proprietors comments under the 'sad but true category' while Usagi turned a light shade of pink. Nabiki smirked as well, but for an entirely different reason.

"I wouldn't let it worry you too much." Nabiki began. "Ranma used to keep several local ice cream shops in business back in the day. That is when she wasn't trying to use her good looks to get free food."

"With that figure?" Minako stared in disbelief.

Ranma inclined her head modestly and Nabiki's audience couldn't help but to smile. Ami shook her head. "If I had your looks, I'd be raking in free food left and right too."

"Now, now." Ranma waggled her finger. "Let's not harass the hostess. Besides, torment her too much and my three favorite customers won't get their ice cream on the house."

"Ah, the joys of bribery." Nabiki commented as Usagi's blue eyes lit up. Likewise, her friends attention had been captured in its entirety.

"Not at all." Ranma wave the sarcasm aside politely. "Call it a 'welcome back' special."

"Hmmf." The Tendo snorted, clearly amused before turning to other topics. "Anyway, I have an appointment at four, so I'll be taking my leave. Remember, dinner."

Ranma resigned herself to her fate. "I'm pretty sure you wouldn't let me forget."

Nabiki made her way to the doorway, opening it with a light chime. "Of course not. Ja-ne."

Ranma waited until her friend disappeared from sight before turning back to the waiting girls, flipping her long red ponytail back behind her back in the process. She folded her arms and scrutinized her patrons. "Now where there's one of you, there are usually more."

Usagi nodded, blonde streamers of hair bouncing in the process. "Makoto and Rei will be along in a few. Maybe—"

"You saved it!" Minako blurted, and ran across the room to an arcade cabinet, beaming with delight. "I didn't think…!"

"You didn't think I'd open without the most played game in the place, did you?" Ranma smiled kindly at the other blonde, who was enthusiastically inspecting the Sailor V arcade machine.

"So how was your business trip, Miss Saotome?" Ami asked, curiously. It was a well known fact that the owner of the Crown Arcade was well traveled, often having to leave Furuhata in charge to tend the shop. It was also a fact that intrigued the blue haired girl to no end. After all, the furthest from home she had been was, well, Okinawa. Exciting stuff. That, and she always brought back the coolest stuff. "Calcutta, this time?"

"For Love and Justice, fiend!" Ranma arched an eyebrow, watching Minako give the new arcade game a fierce working over. Her battle cry was awarded by several crunching sounds as a twelve hit combo laid her digital opponent low.

"Mmmhmm." Ranma nodded. "All business mostly. Humidity was absolutely horrid, but I did find myself in the most interesting shop during on some of my free time…" She let the pair hang hopefully on her words for a moment before continuing with a wink. "But we'll save that for later. Right now, I believe there's a bowl of chocolate-pistachio ice cream with your name on it, Sa-chan. Rocky road, Ami?"

"Oh, yes, definitely." Ami shook her head vigorously while Usagi was practically salivating at the prospect.

"Minako, Usagi's going to get your Strawberry sherbet if you don't—" No sooner had the words left her lips than the blonde practically teleported over to the trio, taking her seat in front of the windowed glass cooler from which Ranma was scooping. "So how has school been treating you since I've been away?"

"Finals suck." Minako spat, but quickly soothed herself with a bite of sherbet from the bowl the redhead had pushed in her direction. "Sa-chan fell asleep in class again."

"HEY!"

"Says you." Ami retorted. "Finals are downright relaxing after some of the yo-, uh… extra-curricular activities we do."

Both blondes to either nearly choked on their own desserts over the verbal stumble, staring at a Ami who steadfastly refused to make eye contact with anything, let alone the twenty-seven year old shop owner in front of her. Ranma Saotome savored the moment silently, then put on her best vacant smile. "Oh my…You girls are so active in your after school clubs."

Kasumi would have been proud.

Even as the trio sighed in relief at having dodged a bullet, Ranma smiled inwardly, idly wondering if she could induce a heart attack by admitting aloud to knowing that the girls sitting in front were none other than Sailors Moon, Mercury and Venus. And they did try so hard to keep their identities a secret, too, she thought with amusement.

Ding-ding!

"See, I told you it was open!" Rei exclaimed, pulling her taller counterpart through the front entrance.

"Ow! Okay, okay! I see!" Makoto complained, snatching her arm back.

"I see pecan praline and vanilla caramel have arrived." Ranma grinned at the pair also known as Sailors Mars and Jupiter. "Pull up a stool, you two."

"Hi Miss Saotome!" Makoto piped enthusiastically. "Wow! I thought that last youma took the Crown out for sure!"

"Takes a lickin', keeps on tickin'" Minako grinned.

"Not for lack of trying, though." Ranma nodded. "The Senshi play rough with their demon toys. I should have Nabiki send them the repair bill, you know."

The red head pretended not to notice the sudden paleness of their faces.

"Eh heh… heeheheh…" Usagi chuckled nervously. "But don't the pretty magical girl soldiers of love and justice protect people from evil and villainy?"

"Of course, of course." Ranma waved aside the comment. "Besides, I've seen places come back from worse." …And I'll be going to one of them for dinner Thursday, she appended mentally, none to thrilled at the prospect. "No big deal, really."

Tension quickly drained from the girls around her, and she further lightened the atmosphere by pushing Sailor Pralines and Sailor Caramel their respective flavors of ice cream, who were themselves delighted that it was on the house. The girls began their conversation in earnest and Ranma was invariably drawn away by other customers, only to be drawn back into it minutes later.

"So, Ami, did you ask him out?" Minako leaned toward the girl with a conspiratorial smile plastered across her face. The question instantly converged the girl's many splintered conversations onto one focused topic. Ami shuffled uncomfortably under her friends combined gaze.

"Look, I'm just not ready take that step yet." She replied, her voice quavering slightly. "Besides, I don't even know if he likes me."

"Chicken." Rei commented between spoonfuls of ice cream. "It's easy. Just walk up to him and ask him out."

Ami favored her friend with a dry look. "And that's obviously worked oh-so-well for you."

"Hey!"

"Maybe you should ask somebody with more experience." Usagi inserted, glancing down the counter to the Arcade's proprietor. "I mean look at Miss Saotome. She's beautiful! If she doesn't know how to pick up a guy, nobody does."

Makoto let her spoon hand in her mouth for a moment, analyzing her friend's suggestion. "You know, Ami, meatball head might just be right this time around. She's totally hot, for lack of a better word. I'd be surprised if she doesn't get her pick of guys."

Ami poked at her own bowl pensively. "I don't know…"

"Come on, she helps us out all the time." Minako added, nudging the dark haired girl. "She won't mind giving you pointers on how to nab Shiro-kun. Miss Saotomeeeee!"

Ranma's attention was drawn from her idle chatter with another patron and back to the girls. She drifted back over to their group with a peaceful smile that was all but guaranteed to put anybody at ease. "What can I do for you girls?"

Minako grinned broadly, jabbing her thumb into her friend. "Ami has a question for you."

"Umm… Uh…" The gentle curiosity radiating from Ranma's crystal blue eyes all but drew the words from Ami. "I, um… Need help picking up a guy."

The redhead blinked, stroking the ponytail that had seen fit to drape itself over her left shoulder. "I… You don't really need my advice."

"Oh, pah-lease." Rei rolled her eyes. "You have to dress down to keep the guys off you."

Among other things, Ranma thought, trapped by some measure of truth in Rei's statement. While she didn't exactly dress down, per se, just very conservatively, which in turn did affect the number of guys that tended to ask her out… if only by a small margin. The woman mentally shrugged. The fact that she actually was beautiful was a condition she had long since become used to and indifferent to simultaneously. Unable to refute the girl's observations, she simply waited while they took her silence as an invitation to continue.

"Ami really likes this guy at school," Usagi began.

"…but is just too darn shy for her own good." Makoto continued.

"So she needs some pointers on how to approach him." Rei rounded out the explanation.

"And we know the guys are just all over you." Minako pointed out as a closing argument, eliciting nods from all five girls. In that moment, Ami's involuntary counseling session turned into a pointed group interest for every girl involved. After all, what aspiring, boy-crazy teenage girl wouldn't want advice from a master such as the one before them? The woman was just too good looking not to have her pick of men.

The redhead gave her ponytail another stroke before flipping it back over her shoulder, resigning herself to her fate with a patience won only through years of experience. Maybe she could even steer them away from her more extreme experiences. With that thought in mind, Ranma settled in. "Well, first, you should never come on too strong. Few guys like a strange girl who suddenly comes out of the blue and hangs all over them, glomps and such."

"Makes sense." Makoto shrugged.

"Take notes, Minako." Rei grinned, causing the blonde to growl.

"Likewise, don't chase them all around." Ranma continued, as if instructing pupils in a classroom. "Everybody likes attention, but everybody needs space too. If you chase him too much, you'll chase him away."

"Subtlety." Ami concluded, mentally jotting the point down. Ranma nodded.

"Exactly. But in moderation." The proprietor warned, clicking a nail on the counter as if to emphasis the point. "There's a fine line between subtlety and manipulation. The latter will end your romance before it even starts."

"She's good." Usagi whispered over to Rei, who nodded in kind.

"And the last thing you want to do is resort to drugs, blackmail and explosives." Ranma stated with utter seriousness, and the nods that had been following her lesson in romance instantly ground to halt. Explosives? "Extorting or brainwashing your date will not endear him to your affections. And don't—" Ranma paused, noting the wide eyes riveted to her person. "What? Why are you staring at me?"

Usagi opened her mouth, but words failed to come out. Ami, Minako, Makato and Rei simply stared. "That was… um…"

Riiiing!

All eyes snapped to the phone down the counter, and every female involved was grateful for the distraction, if for their own separate reasons. Ranma flashed them a brilliant smile. "Oops. Continue this later, girls."

The eyes tracked her as she moved off, and once the proprietor was out of nominal earshot, the conspiratorial whispers began.

"What the hell was that!" Minako hissed in disbelief, still unable to tear her eyes away from the owner of the Crown Arcade across the room.

"Where, exactly did that conversation go horribly wrong?" Makoto asked, shaking her head.

"Drugs." Rei replied with equal disbelief. "I think around the mention of using drugs to seduce Shiro."

Ami had been reduced to a blinking stupor. "I wasn't planning on using explosives…"

"You think it was a joke?" Minako finally managed to tear her eyes off the redhead.

"You know Miss Saotome better that." Usagi glanced back at across the room. "She doesn't joke. At least not like that."

"Then what was that?" Makoto questioned, still unable to wrap her brain around the turn in conversation. "Oh my God… you don't think…?"

"It's the only explanation." Usagi Tsukino nodded. "I mean, what else could it be?"

Ami cocked her head. "So you're saying…?"

"She was describing her own experiences!" Rei concluded, bridging the same mental gap. "Miss Saotome used all those methods in her younger days to catch guys…!"

"…And only reaped sorrow." Usagi confirmed sadly. "Leaving her much wiser… but alone."

Makoto was practically sniffling now. "That's so sad!"

"We have to do something to help her!" Minako piped, gaining the nods her friends.

Usagi pushed a fist into her palm, purpose burning in her eyes. "Let's go girls. We have some planning to do!"


Red hair wafted lightly in the warm evening breeze as Ranma Saotome made her way down the all-too-familiar streets of Nerima, Japan. Little had changed for the prefecture, and the woman had kept her visits just frequent enough to keep up with the minor ones the suburb underwent, yet not so frequent as to become a regular face to the suburb's population. Still, there were a scant few that would recognize her on sight, most of which she didn't mind being recognized by. For the remainder of the prefecture however, her visage would go unnoticed by and large, with an even smaller percentage retaining the vague impression that they had met the redhead somewhere before. That anonymity was all well and good for Ranma, as it provided her with the much needed separation between the past and the present, even if she was here to revisit a small sliver of that past.

Speaking of the past, Ranma mused idly as she paused at a gate and the wooden plank that hung above it. 'Tendo-Hibiki School of Indiscriminate Grappling'. There was a day when the very sight of it would cause her to flinch, but those days were long gone and the sign received her barest attentions as she ignored the bell that hung beside it and pushed the front gate open with ease. She smiled at the sight that greeted her. A group of ten men and a smaller percentage of women were running through a set of katas in white gis, led by a black clad bandana'd instructor. The instructor wandered across the kata line, inspecting each student's form before pausing, noting the redhead for the first time. The martial arts instructor smirked slightly and left the students to their own devices, walking past the line and over to his new visitor.

"Don't you normally teach the advanced class, Ryoga-kun?" Ranma queried the advancing man, eyeing the students behind him.

Ryoga Hibiki nodded curtly. "'Kane-chan's busy." He smiled back as she took his hand gently. "How has Juuban been treating you? Old Nerima misses you, you know?"

Ranma chuckled softly at their customary banter. "Somehow I doubt that. Nabiki isn't cooking tonight is she?"

A sufficiently horrified look occupied the Hibiki's face. "Goodness no! Akane has the kitchen tonight."

"Oh, thank God." The woman feigned relief. "I don't think I could take another meal like…"

"…the rainbow jello dinner. Yes, I know." Ryoga simply shook his head sadly. "It took us a week to catch the damn—"

"RYOGA HIBIKI!"

Ranma blinked, and her head swiveled left to find a young blond, no more than seventeen by her estimate, standing on the property wall of the dojo. His weather-worn black cloak flapped in the wind, but that wasn't the primary feature dominating his fashion statement. That was left to the buckles that seemed to cover every square inch of his leather clad person. Arms. Legs. All in all, Ranma was impressed that the boy was still able to move with some modicum of stealth. Not that she hadn't sensed his approach with absolute clarity. Then she noticed Ryoga's slumping body language, indicating that this was, in fact, a regular occurrence. Even his students were groaning. Then there was the bag on buckle-boy's back… those couldn't possibly be…

"Golf clubs, Ryoga?" She asked with a small amount of skepticism creeping into her usually calm voice. The martial arts instructor looked like he was about ready to answer when another outburst from the young man cut him off once more.

"My name Shindo Genji! You killed my father! Prepare to die!" With that proclamation he reached to his back, pulling one of the clubs. His weapon of choice appeared to have a fat steel head and he brought it to bear on the Hibiki.

"You killed his father, Ryoga-kun?" Ranma asked with her most innocent voice and wide eyes to match. Ryoga favored her with a dry look. "Oh my, you're not a nice person."

"You're getting entirely too good at that." Ryoga snorted, then turned his attention entirely onto his buckled challenger. "I didn't kill your father, you idiot!"

"I shall avenger his life with your death!" He bellowed, swishing his golf club through the air decisively. "Your existence ends now!"

Ryoga shook his head and stepped into a loose attack stance while Ranma simply burbled with amusement. "I'll be in the dojo helping Akane fix supper." Ranma took one last look at the advancing blond and smiled mischievously. "You boys have fun."

The martial artist shot the redhead one last glare as she turned on a heel and cleared the immediate strike zone for the house without a look back, totally disinterested in the violent activities about to take place. Have fun, boys. The words echoed in his mind, causing him the slightest of shivers after all these years. They had a distinct feminine lilt to them, one that would never belong to the person named Ranma Saotome in his view of the world. Before he could turn the matter over further in his mind, his musings were interrupted by an angry battle cry.

"FIVE IRON FRENZY!"

Suddenly, Ryoga Hibiki was engaged in a practical classroom demonstration of his Art.


A slight rumble reverberated through the house structure, sending ripples through the pot of soup Akane Hibiki was preparing. The vibration of her kitchen caused a slightly perturbed look to cross her face as Ranma fished an apron from a nearby wall hook.

"Honestly, are those two going at it again?" Akane growled, her tone matching the irritation on her face. "I swear, I'm going to beat both of them down myself if they ruin things in here."

Finding the vegetables neglected and a lonely knife, Ranma picked up the cutting implement and began chopping lightly at an offending celery. "Yes, I hear your husband is an axe murderer now." The redhead's humorous demeanor and easy smile seemed to siphon off some of the cook's anger.

"Hmmf. You don't know the half of it." She sniffed and returned to seasoning her stew. "Last time, it was his mother. The time before that, his sister."

"A different family member each week?" Ranma arched an eyebrow, finishing off the stalk of celery and moving on to a hapless carrot.

Akane chuckled. "Pretty much. We're waiting to see just how large his family is."

Ranma shared a mutual smile with her long since ex-fiancée, then twisted her head around the kitchen. "So where is the little scamp, anyway?"

"Doc's office." The cobalt haired woman answered simply.

The redhead nodded knowingly. "Should have figured if she wasn't here cooking with you…"

"I'm not sure which is worse, honestly." Akane grinned. "Aikio destroying the kitchen or destroying Kasumi's patients."

"The patients, I think." Ranma decided. "We know for a fact that this kitchen can take a beating."

Akane Tendo managed a mirthful chuckle through her own silent air of regret at her best friend's words. It would be so easy to read shades of the old Ranma in her humor, shades that in reality hadn't existed for nearly a decade. Either that, or they had been suppressed so deep as not to matter, she thought as her psychology minor surfaced for a moment. Back then, that comment would have been aimed squarely at her and her total lack of skill in cooking. It still was today, but with an important difference- it not only encompassed her past experience in the culinary arts, but her kitchen feuds with Ranma herself and Nabiki's own disasters as well. In fact, Ranma never made a joke about anyone anymore that couldn't be turned directly on herself in some way, shape or form. She sized her friend up, who was every bit the woman she was. Both were twenty seven and fit, though Akane still had an inch or so on her in height. The red head's bust was was still a sore point that made up for that inch, and Akane knew that while she would always be good looking, Ranma was literally stunning. In some ways it had been a good change… Ranma had grown up. She was a respected member of the community. Went to school. Owned her own business… but the price had been high. So very high. Who would have thought she would so long to hear Ranma call her a tomboy one last-

"I know that face, 'Kane." Ranma had stopped her tender mercies concerning the vegetables before her, and Akane now found herself looking into a neutral expression. "Let the ghosts tend to the past. They aren't the reason I'm here tonight."

Accept it and move on, in other words, Akane thought and let her sigh escape from the mental prison of her thoughts to open air. "Of course. Speaking of the present, could you go get Aikio, and Kasumi for that matter? All I have left is those vegetables and dinner is ready."

The neutrality of Ranma's countenance was cleared away with a pleasant smile and a nod. "Of course. I might even try and pry that husband of yours away from that silly boy he insists on playing with."

Akane nodded. "Oh, definitely that. Send him home before the street lights come on."

The redhead chuckled and turned away for the door, untying the apron as she proceeded to her appointed rounds. Even as she departed the kitchen, Akane couldn't help but to stare after her one time fiancée and the mystery she held. Let the ghosts tend to the past, indeed, she thought wistfully. A difficult task when you're pursuing your own, right Ranma? It wasn't obvious. In fact, Ranma hid the fact quite well from the world, but she had known the red head for over a decade now and her walk told her everything that wasn't said. Each visit, Ranma Saotome's walk was slightly different. The girl had all but forsaken violence, challenges, open sparring and teaching, but the walk was there and so was the Art, even if she took pains to hide it. Nobody Akane knew of had seen Ranma practice in the last decade, but she was all but certain that whatever her families Art had become, it most certainly wasn't gathering dust.

The kitchen door closed with a soft click and Akane Hibiki turned back to her soup, staring at the off-color reflection on its surface. There was only one reason Ranma would keep up the art after all she had been through.

Akane sighed again, banishing her reflection with the soup spoon once more.


"OwOwOwOW!"

Ranma smiled as the rubbing alcohol was applied with liberal measure to the blond's wounds through layers of shredded leather and broken buckles. Only moments before Shindo Genji's tormentor had been Ryoga Hibiki. Ranma hadn't seen the battle that transpired, but it had obviously been a short, painful lesson for his students to observe. His current tormentor was now female, only four years older than herself. She wore her hair in unbound brown waves and wore a peaceful expression; one Ranma had made every attempt to emulate over the years. Next to her was a small girl in a karate gi, sporting a short crop of dark blue hair, cute fanged smile and rich brown eyes that seemed to glitter every time a cotton ball touched the boy's wounds, eliciting a yelp of pain.

"Do it again, Aunt Kas!" The little girl squealed. Much to her delight, Kasumi smiled and dabbed another wound, producing another yelp.

"OW!" The young man scowled. "I don't need this!"

"Of course you do." The eldest Tendo sister countered. "It would be very impolite of you to bleed all over the court yard." Shindo looked as if he were about ready to argue, but found himself unable to counter the kind rebuke. Instead, he mumbled a barely intelligible apology and Kasumi continued with a smile. "And that arm of yours will need to be popped back into place."

"Look, it ain't gonna need— OWWWW!" Aikio Tendo's jingling laughter mixed with Shindo Genji's holler of pain as Kasumi reached in and grasped his arm and shoulder, expertly forcing the joint back into the socket. Ranma couldn't help but to smile at the little girl, having long since decided that Aikio's perverse affinity for pain was well in line with the parents who sired her.

"Oh, Ranma-kun, could you do something about the pain?" Ranma nodded amiably with the request and gave the teen two quick pokes to the back, one at the base of his shoulder blade and the other to the left of his spine's sixth vertebrae.

"HEY! Stop poking—...!" A confused expression crossed the buckled martial artist's face and he flexed his arm. Shindo gave the smartly dressed redhead a puzzled look. "Uh, wow. Thanks. You a doctor too?"

An amused expression overtook Ranma's face as she considered the boy. "No, no. Just a hobby. And I apologize in advance."

"Apologize in advance?" he blond mimed, wondering why, exactly, she would apologize for eliminating his pain with a single touch. Any further questions along those lines, however, were cut off as the master of the Tendo-Hibiki School of Indiscriminate Grappling stuck his head through the half open door and into Kasumi's practice.

"Done with buckle-boy yet? Getting hungry out here."

Shindo's eyes widened and angry fury burned within them. "You're gonna die, Hibiki!" He lurched off of Kasumi's examination bed and managed two steps across the room before those same fury fueled eyes fluttered and rolled into the back of his skull, sending the boy stumbling into the floor, unconscious.

Ryoga looked down to the crumpled boy at his feet, then up at Ranma and Kasumi, who stared back innocent as could be. The Hibiki rolled his eyes. "And I'm supposed to believe he just fell over."

"Oh my, that's an improper place to sleep." Kasumi blinked with all the naivety in the world, looking at Ranma.

"Maybe he has narcolepsy?" Ranma blinked back, equally clueless.

The Hibiki simply shook his head, then looked to his daughter, who was now poking at the corpse of Shindo. "Don't suppose you know what's up with him, Aikio?"

To his dismay, she adopted a similarly vacant expression. "Just found him here, Pop."

Ryoga Hibiki stared blandly at the trio of innocent females and finally sighed. "Alright, fine. Free Pocky for whoever spills it."

"Ran-chan did it!" The little fanged girl blurted, scrambling over the buckled corpse to her father.

"Rats." The redhead feigned disappointment and stuck her tongue out at the girl, who promptly stuck her own out in turn.

His ruse successful, Ryoga scruffed his daughter's head. "Now can you tell me how she did it?"

"Ummmm…" Aikio studied the redhead intently, trying to recall the technique from memory. She began to look a bit lost until Ranma subtly wiggled an index finger with a slight grin. The daughter's eyes lit up. "Oh! Pressure point!"

"Very good." Ryoga gave her a squeeze as she beamed with pride. "Somebody gets some Pocky after dinner. Now go help your mother set the table."

Aikio was out of Kasumi's examination room in a flash, leaving the three bemused adults in her wake. "Defintely a sharp one." Ranma mentioned with a smile as the three filed out behind her. Ryoga hefted Shindo's inert body over his shoulder and followed. "Better watch that mercenary streak of hers though."

"Tell me about it. She's already trying to negotiate her chores." Ryoga admitted. "Let 'Kane-chan know I'll be right in. Gotta toss buckle-boy here out."

Ranma and Kasumi nodded, letting Ryoga go about his duties concerning the disposal of Shindo Genji. Eldest sister noted Ranma's curious expression and preempted the inevitable question. "Oh, he'll just set him outside on the curb. Most of the time Shin-kun just wakes up and wanders home."

The Saotome chuckled and paused, noting the building they had just stepped out of with a critical eye. "You remodeled?"

"I was inspired." Kasumi nodded, pleased that her efforts had been noticed. The structure in question had been shoehorned onto the Tendo property nearly four years ago after she had obtained her medical license. It was, after all, the easiest, least cost-intensive solution for the newly licensed doctor to set up her own practice; simply put some of the family's land to good use. In a way, it pleased Ranma, as there was a certain synergy that existed between the Tendo-Hibiki martial arts school and Kasumi's medical practice. Between that synergy and Nabiki's innate gift for all things business, the dojo was seeing some of its most profitable years since being built.

"The interior remodeling was especially nice." Ranma agreed, opening the door for Kasumi. The smell of delicious food wafted around the pair and suddenly small talk was the last thing on the redhead's mind.

Kasumi smiled warmly as Ranma made her way into the house. It was nice to know that after so much change, some things never would.


Ranma Saotome politely dipped a slice of steamed pork into an expertly prepared brown sauce and popped it into her mouth with precise care. Had they not known the woman for the last ten years, Ryoga, Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi might have thought it odd that she wasn't wolfing down her food with careless abandon. As it was, they had and the behavior went by and large unnoticed, except by Aikio, who was miming her 'older sister' with uncanny accuracy.

"Ono says 'hi', of course." Ranma continued for her audience as she ran through current events. "I know for a fact that he wouldn't mind the company next time you come through Juuban."

"I'm pretty sure I know somebody he'd like to see more than us." Akane replied, winking at Ranma with a sly grin, causing the Saotome to chuckle.

Nabiki frowned, her rice laden chopsticks pausing before her mouth. "Oh, don't you two even start that again."

"Too late." Kasumi replied, her eyes glittering with the same mischief as Akane and Ranma's. "He's mature, handsome, successful, single… Did I mention handsome, successful and single?"

"The thoughts had crossed my mind." The middle Tendo stated dourly. "And since when is my personal life the topic of dinner table discussion?"

"Since we found out about just how well you two have been getting along." Ranma pointed out with a wide smile. "It's not as if he could keep that sort of secret from me, anyway."

"Well you are practically his family." Ryoga mentioned, then sent a smirk her way. "Are you sure you're ready for Nabiki as your mother, Ranma?"

The redhead cocked her head, as if to consider the prospect. "Hmmm… Nabiki Tofu…"

"And I think you're the only sister not to have a crush on him yet." Akane smiled sweetly, leaning into her husband.

"Seems to run in the family." Kasumi pointed out inoffensively and Ranma nearly choked on the intended humor of her comment, as well as the dumpling she had been nibbling at.

The Tendo scowled and opened her mouth for a retort, only to be cut off by the smallest attendee. "Ono and Nabiki, sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

The business woman cast a sidelong glare at the young girl. "Can it, squirt. But since we're airing everybody's dirty laundry, inquiring minds will be interested to learn that Ranma-kun here is host to the Sailor Senshi."

Eating and conversation stopped instantly. Ryoga's gaze narrowed on Ranma. "You know the Sailor Strumpets?"

Akane gave her husband a slight nudge to the ribs, and instead forwarded her own question. "Tell us you're not hanging out with the pretty girls of love and justice now. It's just so… so…"

"Demeaning?" Nabiki supplied with a feral grin, and Akane nodded.

"Exactly." The youngest sister confirmed. "I mean, what is up with those skirts? No wonder they attract so much trouble."

"Now, now." Kasumi inserted herself into the discussion. "Fighting for love and justice is an admirable pursuit."

Ranma nodded in agreement. "For who they are, they manage remarkably well. Nice girls. Well meaning. Can't ask for anything more."

"And good customers." Nabiki added, causing Ranma to nod.

"There is that."

"So are you a magical girl too, now Ranma?" Kasumi questioned between sips of tea. Akane leaned forward with interest, as stranger things had happened 'back in the day'. That, and there was the point that if Ranma were a magical girl, it also meant she was more than likely engaged in violent activities, something her friend had forsaken since days best forgotten. It still wouldn't quite be the Ranma they all once knew, but it was a step in the right direction…

…whatever that direction was these days.

"No, of course not." Ranma waved the theory away. "While I would look absolutely fabulous in one of those fukus, I'll stick to running the Crown." Akane and Ryoga simply nodded with the truth, having long since lost the ability to flinch at the redhead's non sequiturs. "And they do try so hard to keep their identities a secret too."

"I hear Nabiki did a fine job with the reconstruction." Kasumi commented as the conversation evolved around the Senshi. "It was a youma attack then?"

"Yes," The red replied with the slightest hint of weariness in her voice. "While the girls are well meaning, they still need to learn a lesson or two concerning collateral damage. Thankfully, I have an expert troubleshooter on my side."

"Flattery will get you everywhere Ranma-kun." Nabiki bowed her head modestly. "Though it's not as if I haven't had to expedite rush repairs before, I mean with you and Akane…" She watched as Ranma's face lapsed from an easy smile into veiled neutrality, ghosts of the past flickering in her eyes. The rest of the family seemed to hold its breath at the conversational faux pas. "I… uh, sorry about that, Ranma-kun. Wasn't thinking."

Ranma blinked the ghosts away and forced a slight smile. "No worries, Nabiki-chan. That experience is why I called you anyway. You were the best back then too."

Nabiki smiled weakly herself. Even after stumbling over the girl's grave, she still had a knack for making people feel good about themselves. "Thanks, Ranma. But don't think the next one will be free."

"Oh my." Ranma put her hand to her lips in mock horror. "If tonight's payment was supper, I shudder to find out what other horrors await me. So, how is your father?"

"Oh, he's as well as can be expected." Akane took over the topic with the fluidity Ranma had broached it. That fluidity was, of course, a lie. She knew that it was a polite formality to be dispensed with for Ranma and nothing more, as her friend really had no interest in her father's current well being. None what-so-ever, in fact. "Wants to take Aikio on a training mission."

"Mmm." Ranma murmured noncommittally between sips of tea.

"I really hope you're not going to let him pull those antics again, Sis." Nabiki frowned, obviously displeased with the news. The small girl's ears perked up with the mention of her name.

"Grampa says there are Amazon-dragon-phoenix-squids in China!" She gushed with wide eyes, recalling the story. "Can I go?

"When you're older." Ryoga stated in a tone that left no room for negotiation.

"Awwww!"

Ranma smiled and opened her mouth to speak, then cocked her head, as if listening to something. Ryoga noted the pose and extended his own martial arts senses out beyond the dining room walls. "Dammit."

Akane turned from Ranma, to her husband. "What?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to call it a night." Ranma stated pleasantly, rising from her sitting position at the table, taking Akane's hand. "Thank you for the wonderful meal. Kasumi, Nabiki. Good seeing you again. Be a good girl, Aikio."

"What? You can't be going so soon! It's only—" Akane Hibiki's objections were halted by her husband's gentle hand on her shoulder.

"He's back."

Akane stared as his words set in, then up at Ranma, who nodded. "But… we sent him out. He should have been busy for another hour and a half. At least."

"We can have dinner at my place to make up for it." Ranma smiled, then turned to the door. "I'll make the most scrumptious—"

Click.

All eyes swiveled onto the door and the graying mustachioed man who stepped through it. He slipped out of his shoes and dusted off his brown hakama before returning his attention to the interior of the house. "I'm home gir—" The words died on his lips upon noting the redhead in tan slacks and a short sleeved black blouse. "Oh, ah, it's good to see you, um, Ranma."

The words spilled forth nervously and Ranma barely acknowledged the greeting, as if it were a given. There was nothing on her face now but an emotional void as she considered Soun Tendo. "I was just leaving."

The room seemed to palpably cool with her words and she took the opportunity to move toward the door, stepping past the Tendo patriarch with an air of indifference. Her hand reached for the doorknob when another hand closed around her shoulder, stopping her.

"Ranma, I just want to…" Soun began softly, only to be cut off almost as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Remove your hand, Soun Tendo." Ranma ordered icily, never taking her eyes off the door. Her tone was a sharp contrast to the calm pleasantness she had carried through the dinner. "I should hate to have the police disturb the neighbor's peace this time of night."

"But… I… You…"

"Daddy, just let her go." Akane ordered sternly, but softly. Her father's frame visibly slumped, and his hand slipped off the redhead's shoulder. Without another word, she was gone through the door and out in the night. Soun stood in place, motionless, while Aikio looked from one solemn adult to another.

"Why doesn't Ran-chan like Grampa, Mommy?"

Akane sighed, pulling the small girl close. "That's a long, long story…"


Author's Notes;
Honestly, I've really got to get off the SM-Ranma xover kick. Too bad my Muse-O-Matic 5000® finds the subject matter just too darn attractive. Anyway, chapters will be alternating between past and present, as to fill in backstory. Yes, everything will be explained, but you'll have to bear with me as I open the Gates of WTF® wide.

Matchups; Probably not. Definitely not A) Any member of the NWC or, B) The Senshi.

Shindo Genji; You'll get it. Maybe not. do-ji.

The Crown Arcade; In canon, this place is used to varying degrees as a communications base to the Moon. In reality, the concept was no more than a plot speed bump, existing in the anime for only one season before being dropped entirely as a plot device. As such, I've taken the liberty of altering events slightly, in that it is not a 'secret senshi base' of any sort. The SM plot obviously did just fine without it, and so will this story. The Crown Arcade in this story is wholly owned by Ranma Saotome.

Timeline: Approximately ten years after Ranma ½ canon, book 38. Sailor Moon canon has just ended.

Ranma Saotome; Twenty seven, presently retains a female persona for reasons to be outlined later. If this bothers you, shrug.

Special Thanx to Yarrow and DCG for some great scene ideas; Quizer, of course, for the editing.. All three are invaluable when it comes to making this fic better than it originally was.


Age of Titans
By Ozzallos


Chapter Two


The Twilight,
The forgotten.
The unseen dances,
Chaos ensues.

It was a modest size room, floored with crème marble tiling and sparsely decorated stucco walls that curved upwards to an octagonal skylight in the ceiling. Had it been daylight, sun would have most likely shown through the vent, but for now it was night, and a gossamer shaft of moonlight was the room's sole illumination. The celestial glow provided a focus to the chamber's central feature, a marble while pillar; upon it, a box.

That was the target.

A shadow crept along the edges of moonlight, stepping carefully as to ensuring no part of itself touched the pale illumination. The silhouette paused for a moment to consider the highly ordinate, gold trimmed box upon the pedestal, before continuing along the edge of the room. Care would have to be taken in its retrieval. Their had been sentries standing watch over the target, monks whose solemn duty it was to watch over the contents of that box and ensure none passed to touch it. The shadow had dispatched them quite easily. Even though they were skilled in their own right, the intruder eclipsed them by several magnitudes and quickly rendered them unconscious before they even knew a threat existed.

In reality, most thought of the shadow as lazy. They would be correct in that assumption. Training under the master known as Happosai had thoroughly ruined what had once promised to be one of the best martial artists of his generation, though regardless of how lazy he seemed, the shadow was still a prodigy in his own right. When he put his mind to something, there was little that would stop him from obtaining that goal and the monks simply did not pose a credible enough of a threat to stay his purpose.

The shadow's name? Genma Saotome.

A sense of urgency gripped the thief. He had managed to neutralize six of the monks on his way in, but they wouldn't go un-missed forever. Their replacements would arrive, find them missing and would more than likely raise sound an alarm. After that, it would get messy and Ranma wasn't around to distract them…

Stupid boy doesn't know what's good for him anyway, Genma grumbled and stepped out of the shadows and into the glow of moonlight. After all, this entire exercise was for his benefit, and he had refused—

The balding martial had managed two steps when the tile beneath his left foot sank slightly, causing adrenaline to shoot like a lightening bolt through his system.

DAMMIT!

He pulled his foot off the tile with the reflexes of a snake, barely missing being impaled by the spear that suddenly thrust upward through the stone. The sharpened tip shot skyward and locked into place, leaving Genma with a clear view of the deadly implement resting just shy of the tip of his nose. The Saotome patriarch took a ragged breath. Booby traps. Of course.

Genma began stepping lightly across the floor, scrutinizing each and every tile before moving to the next. Ten painstaking minutes and two spears later found him at the base of the pillar, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his head. He paused before mounting the three steps leading up to the pillar, knowing that they were more than likely booby trapped themselves. More pressure plates, he guessed, kneeling to the floor to get a view of the seams along each step. Only question is where the trap will come from…

He ruled out the ceiling with a quick glance. Nothing deadly would be coming through the skylight and the arched beams were entirely too necessary for architectural support to house anything serious. The walls at his back were an entirely different story, but now too far away to deny him of reaction time, so Genma ruled those out as well. Probably in the steps themselves, then, he decided.

Slackers, he snorted. While he may have regretted ninety-nine percent of his training under Happosai, the experience had made Genma one of the best escape artists alive, a skill that carried over into recognizing just what to expect from traps like these. He pulled a thermos of warm water from folded space and held it gingerly over the first step, edging the rest of his body away from the pillar, then let it go.

Thunk.

Adrenaline fueled reactions went to waste as the thermos just sat there, failing to have been impaled, crushed, skewered or likewise poisoned by a lethal implement of any sort. Genma shrugged. He cautiously stepped onto the step he had just tested and studied the next one up. His reactions still retained a hair trigger, anticipating a delayed action mechanism. Careful, careful, careful you old panda…

He poised the thermos over the next plate and dropped it, this time rewarded by series of clicks in addition to the 'thunk'. Muscles poised…

ShuuNK!

The trap activated as expected. Where it activated from was completely unexpected. The entire surface of the pillar in front of Genma dropped away into the ground, revealing the column's inner structure. It was not made up of solid marble as first appearances would lead one to believe. Instead, it was wood, metal and approximately five thousand glass marbles the size of a man's thumb, all packed tightly against several small linen bags stained with black soot.

A sizzling his found Genma's ear.

The scent of gunpowder wafted across his nostrils.

Few other men would have had the reactions necessary to capitalize on that split second's worth of warning, while even less that that would have had the aerial mastery necessary to leap straight up as a bundle of sparking fuses within the pillar lit off, finding their respective bags like demons devouring fire.

BOOOM!

Genma Saotome had just obtained his maximum height and was twisting to land atop the hollowed column when the improvised claymore detonated, bathing everything within three hundred and sixty degrees in a wall of fire and glass. The invisible wall wave front shattered against the temple wall less than a second later, blasting the fine decoration and stonework into little more than pulverized Swiss cheese in a deafening shriek.

Smoke rolled away from the pillar and Genma stood perched atop it and the treasure box like a crouching gargoyle, cheek twitching as he surveyed the destruction. The chamber walls had been perforated to a height of three meters, while the marble directly around the base was flame-scorched. That had to have woken somebody up, the thief frowned. Anybody else in his position would have been turned to a fine paste. Fortunately, he was as good as—

Click-click!

The sound brought his thought process up short as he sought the source, all of a sudden finding his world… sinking? Genma blinked. The entire pillar was sinking into the stone foundation now; him with it.

Not sticking around for another trap! He thought, hopping off and snatching the small chest as he did so. The column continued to drop until its top was flush with the ground. The Saotome patriarch backed away from it cautiously as it clicked into place and began rotating. Genma stared. He was pretty certain they wouldn't blow up the entire temple in the middle of town, so what—?

The moonlight that had been filtering through the above skylight suddenly went dark.

"Oh, you've got you kidding—"

CrunCH! BOOM!

A giant, nearly circular bolder crashed straight through the ceiling, shattering yet more beautiful stone marble and nearly flattening Genma on the spot. The thief rolled out across the tiled floor and began tripping spear traps randomly, forcing the aged martial artist into wild evasions in order to avoid being skewered. The Saotome flipped back twice as three more spears triggered, evading two and chopping the third one away, only to watch in horror as the giant bolder began to roll…

In his direction.

The huge circular rock took up most of the now largely gutted room and there was only one way out as the massive piece of geology continued to advance on him. Genma Saotome backed away from the encroaching bolder. Even as the rock gained speed slowly, he could hear monks rallying outside the temple, and only one thought echoed through his brain…

"I'm getting too damn old for this…"


"We're back!"

Akane Tendo blinked from her position on the living room sofa, turning her attention away from the TV soap she and her elder sister Nabiki now watched, and onto the voice that had issued the proclamation. The door only seconds opened clicked closed and the shuffle of shoes being removed now filled the hallway. Nabiki looked back with a slight smile.

For the sisters Tendo, Ranma Saotome returning from his month long training trip was a portent of mixed messages. For Akane, it was the return of her on-again, off again fiancé, the harbinger of angst and chaos in her life… As well as the return of a person who filled some vague, ill-defined place in her heart, regardless of how rough he was around the edges. For Nabiki, the martial artist's return not only meant the return of her primary long term investment, but a rise in property damage, extortion, betting, and of course, lens time. Unlike her younger sister, Ranma Saotome occupied a rather well defined place in Nabiki's heart; that place being labeled "Cash cow".

After another few seconds of shuffling, Ranma strolled into the living room. His appearance had changed little since the last time they had laid eyes on him, save the fact that he now sported an odd bruise here and there and his tradition blue and black Chinese silks looks a bit worse for the wear. The martial artist flashed a smile at the pair but quickly found his attention diverted by the sobbing television, specifically, a Chinese princess whose lover was not, in fact, found to be slain by an evil demon lord who instead possessed his body and seduced her sister, the temple priestess and devil hunter, thereby creating animosity between the once harmonious pair.

Ranma frowned at the revelation. While this particular episode was unknown to him, the general direction of the plot was; his dismay lying primarily in the fact that despite the intricate plot of demons, swords and sorcerers, it had taken him sitting through several excruciating episodes to realize that not one iota of action was to be found in the melodrama the Tendo sisters now watched.

"Uhg, not this again."

Akane threw a look of annoyance his way for the comment that passed as his first words to her in over a month, while Nabiki simply opted to roll her eyes. "Some of us have better things to do than roll around in the wild and pummel their family members for sport."

"As if," Ranma snorted, clearly amused. What could be better than beating up on old pops, after all? "Way better than watchin' fang face there fall in love with the priestess, only to have her father slay the only person who really ever understood her while forcing her to leave with an unborn illegitimate child."

Then, as an after thought, "Oh, hi 'Kane."

Akane simply glared back at Ranma, clearly annoyed at her place in the conversation while Nabiki blinked. Kasumi stepped in from outside with a basket full of laundry at that moment, setting it next to her sisters. "Oh my, how did you manage to get a preview of the next episode, Ranma-kun?"

"Didn't," He shrugged. "That's just the way those things always go."

"Now you're just being creepy, Saotome."

The pigtailed boy simply dismissed the middle Tendo's comment. "So anything exciting happen while we were gone?"

"Actually, we rather appreciated all the peace and quiet," Akane inserted the subtle barb in an attempt to regain her fiancées attention through the most tried and true means available...

"So pretty boring, huh?"

…And rolled a critical miss.

Akane's shoulders slumped at having forgotten that it would take more than a subtle 1d4 insult to get his attention. Having lost the initiative, she turned back toward attempting some semblance of a real conversation. "Pretty much. How about you?"

"Yeah, Saotome," Nabiki piped up, now ignoring the TV drama completely. It didn't help that Akane's fiancé had thoroughly annihilated the plot for her. "Gain anymore curses we should know about?"

The question produced only a slight wince in the martial artist. "Nah. Old man decided to cause some trouble with a bunch of monks, though."

"Oh my…"

Ranma nodded at the eldest Tendo's missive. "Tell me 'bout it. Had his eyes on this stupid box they were guarding." He paused, shaking his head with a new thought. "Damn thing was probably cursed too, now that ya mention it."

"He was going to steal from monks?" Akane's jaw dropped.

Ranma simply shook his head and leaned against the wall to his back. "Ya never did see him when I was a kid. Pop's would grab at anything that wasn't nailed down. Called it 'training'."

Now it was Akane's turn to blinked. Clearly, Genma would be going to hell several times over, though it shouldn't have come as a surprise after hearing about everything attributed to the man's stupidity. Stealing from monks was just as good as stealing okanomiyaki carts and forbidden scrolls, so why not?

"So did he get the box?" Nabiki questioned him with an unnatural light in her eyes, prompting the eldest sister simply frowned upon the sudden display of interest. "More importantly, how much was it worth?"

"Nah." Ranma's grin bordered on feral now. "I beat the notion out of him. Last thing I need is to get a pack of homicidal monks out after me 'cuz of him."


"Ah, Saotome-kun," Soun Tendo smiled, pulling away the cigarette as smoke lazily drifted from the porch on the light afternoon breeze. The Saotome in question smiled and dropped his pack down next to his best friend before sitting opposite of the freshly tiled shogi board. "How was… the trip?"

The balding martial artist adjusted his glasses and looked around conspicuously. Satisfied there were no eavesdroppers, Genma Saotome smiled and dug into his pack. "I got it."

The cigarette nearly fell out of his mustachioed partner's fingers. He too looked around quickly before staring at Genma's progress intently. "Truly?"

"Wasn't easy with my boy along," the round martial artist commented, retrieving a square shaped cloth wrapping from his pack. Soun Tendo watched as he began to untie the bindings that held it secure. "Damn monks too, but I got it."

"But… Does it work?" The Tendo asked as the cloth slipped away, revealing the first hints of dark, pitted wood beneath.

Genma shrugged. "Don't know. They sealed it in this damn box with a puzzle lock. I hate puzzle locks."

Soun sympathized. After that training mission with the master to retrieve an idol bust of solid gold, both apprentices were now very wary of puzzles and the giant boulders, poison darts and screaming natives that went with them. This particular box was about two hands long and one high; while its aged wood sported tarnished brass work along the joints that ultimately joined into a complex dial with numerous interlocking grooves. The encrusted dial had five rings within the diameter, and symbols spaced evenly at numerous points along the circumference. The Tendo took it gingerly from Genma's hands to inspect it while Genma noted his partner's hesitation.

"Don't worry, Tendo. Been playing with those damn dials the entire way home while Ranma was asleep," He assured the man. "Hasn't killed me yet."

'Yet' was the operative word in Soun Tendo's eyes. Sure, the wooden box looked innocent enough, but so did that silver ball they had retrieved for the master; a silver ball that promptly levitated, produced shining, jagged blades and chased them both for nearly a week before they finally gave it the slip. But then, he and his partner had survived this long and wariness and cunning, and the stakes were high. The artifact in this box could cement the Saotome-Tendo Anything Goes legacy for all time.

Emboldened by the fact, Soun gave the outside dial an experimental turn, followed quickly by the inner four dials. Each clicked obnoxiously with the movement, but failed to yield any further tangible results.

"Don't even bother, Tendo." Genma frowned as his friend gave the puzzle lock another experimental twist. "I've been trying for nearly two weeks. I think we need a specialist."

Soun stopped his experimentation immediately and his left cheek began to twitch. "You don't mean…?"

"I do."

"Are you sure?" The mustachioed man set the box on the shogi board, clearing the tiles away. "Surely a simple puzzle doesn't warrant that sort of overkill…"

Genma let a labored sigh slip. "Desperate times, old friend. The kids have been together nearly a year and a half now. I don't see an heir coming anytime in the near future, do you?"

Soun Tendo's shoulders slumped with defeat. He was right. At the rate Ranma and his own little girl were progressing, the other not-so legitimate fiancées had an even, if not better shot at wedding the boy these days, and God forbid his morals slipped even once. He was a maturing teenager and there was simply too much competition to risk that. Determination steeled his eyes and he nodded to his friend, both standing up.

"Let's do it."

Both men stepped out into the daylight and steeled themselves. What they were about to undertake was not without risk, after all. Had they the time or foresight, both parents would have thought to erect some form summoning circle to protect against the evil they were about to call forth. As it was, they were short of wards, time and common sense, opting to dispense with the safeties in favor of instant gratification. The aging martial artists took a deep breath…

"HAPPOSAI, HAPPOSAI, HAPPOSAI!"

"Sweeto!" Both men twisted around to find the old perverted master bounding over the Tendo property wall, bouncing easily over to them despite the massive cloth sack of underwear straddling his back. "What's up, boys? Ready for a new training mission?"

Genma suppressed the inevitable shudder at the very suggestion. "Uh, no master! We um… uh…"

"Need your help!" Soun stepped in before Genma began to draw too much attention to himself. The Masters eyes flicked from Saotome to Tendo. "To open, uh, this!"

He thrust the small rectangular box out to the diminutive old gnome, who in turn let the massive green bag of panties roll off his back. Happosai snatched at the box with curiosity.

"A present for your master, no doubt!"

Soun paled. "Uh… eh…"

Seconds after having grabbed at it, The old master found his attention completely absorbed by the box. "Hmmm… Very old… Puzzle lock…" His attention returned briefly to his students. "Reminds you of the good ol' days, huh?"

Happosai didn't wait for a response and returned to the box, failing to notice his student's shivering. "Let's see… Long time since I've seen one of this craftsmanship. Don't make 'em like this anymore. Monks of Avalon if I'm not mistakin'."

Click-click-click-click-

"These things are a blast, " Soun and Genma simply remained silent as their master began to fiddle with the locking mechanism. "Force the lock and the spell binding feeds back on itself. Literally a blast." Tiny fingers began to manipulate the five dials, prompting them to click in return. "There's also at least thirty dummy combinations you can hit upon, releasing a cloud of acidic vapor on anybody within ten meters."

Click-click-click-

Now Genma paled. He had been playing with that thing for a week, dialing at random.

"And the obligatory poison darts," The master reminisced with a smile. "Ah, it just takes ya back. Great locks, too bad the makers weren't exactly imaginative. All derivatives of the great elemental puzzle. It's rather simple once- Whoops!"

Click-click-clickclickcliclickclickclick!

Genma and Soun cringed as the master's eyes widened, his little fingers spinning the inner most dial well away from the setting he was about to stop on. He looked up at his still frozen apprentices with a smile. "Almost set a dummy combination. Ah, here we go."

Click-click-CLICK.

"Still got the touch!" Happosai grinned widely. "Now it's time to see what you old boys got your master for-"

"Look, Master! PANTIES!"

"Where!"

The wooden box instantly dropped as the pervert swung around, looking wildly in the direction Soun was pointing. The momentary distraction provided Genma with more than enough time to drop several hundred pounds of stone lantern on the gnome's head from a height of three meters, flattening the old master. Both smiled at one another and Soun retrieved the box. Sure, he would be pissed when he woke up. After all, you just don't double cross demonic evil without reprisal; but by then, their work would be done long before he woke up.

Soun stared at the box with wonder and swung the lid open slowly.

Phhhfffttt! ThWapTHwAPThWApThwaPThwAP!

Eight streaks flew by his nose and he blinked, finding Genma staring at the ceiling of his porch. There, eight feather tipped wooden spikes had managed to imbed themselves in the sturdy beam above them. The balding martial artist simply shook his head.

"Poison darts. I hate poison darts." Then he paused with a faraway look in his eyes. "Say, did I ever tell you about how I met No-chan?"

Soun dismissed his partner's fond musings, carefully inspecting the interior of the lethal box in his hands. Its contents quickly earned their undivided attention as their gazes fell upon tarnished gold and gems, twisted and shaped into the form of an antique oil lamp. "Well it certainly looks impressive."

Genma nodded. At very least, it would pay for a few meals once they shined it up. He lifted it gently out of the box and away from Soun; carefully, as to avoid any further unwanted surprises. Satisfied that it was no longer a threat, he took a better grip, turning it to view the lamp from every angle. After another few minutes of study, he frowned and began to shake it. "So how do we turn the damn thing on?"

"It's said to grant a wish, correct?" Soun asked an earned a nod in return. He took the lamp from his friend. "I seem to recall something about polishing magical lamps…"

Genma's eyebrows furrowed with the concept. "Do we need a special kind of polish? I can send the boy-"

"We'll just try this first, old friend." Soun nodded and began to rub the dark golden lamp with his sleeve. "If this doesn't work, I'll have Kasumi fetch-"

"MWUWAHAHAHAAHAH!"

Bluish smoke erupted from the lamps spout, coinciding with the obnoxious booming laughter while instantly causing Soun to drop the lamp. Visions of acidic clouds eating away fleshy skeletons quickly played through his mind and he leapt away, as did Genma, whose own brain was already operating along the same lines.

Fear quickly turned to amazement as the cloud failed to disperse with the summer breeze and instead opted to coalesce into a vaguely humanoid shape. A translucent torso formed, quickly developing smoky arms and a head; all solidifying into features that vaguely resembled a blue man composed of roiling smoke. Aside from the roiling coil of smoke that teathered his waist to the lamp, the thing looked nearly human.

The figure continued to gain definition as they gaped and now three girls and a boy were stepping out on the porch, wondering what the entire ruckus was about. Immediately visible, of course, were the two slack jawed parents. Beside them was a stone lantern misshapenly placed on the old pervert Happosai's head.

This was approved of.

What they found beyond the parents and the misplaced stone lantern caused them to stop short, however, as it wasn't everyday you found a man made of blue smoke floating about your property.

"Oh my!" Kasumi put her hands over her mouth. "Another kidnapper for Akane?"

The youngest sister's cheek twitched, but her eyes remained firmly rooted on the improbably sight before her, that being what looked like a well muscled man dressed in Arabian styled clothing made entirely of blue smoke. Beyond the intricately woven belt, nothing below the hips was discernable, save the blue funnel cloud swirling about.

"YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND, MASTER!"

The proclamation stunned nearly everybody present, and the newly summoned Djinni waited for the moment to pass by twirling his handle-barred mustache. Surprisingly, it was Genma's brain that kicked back online first.

"I wish to be rid of my Jusenkyo curse!"

The swirling man considered him with a wide smile. "HA! That I could grant were you my master! Only the one who released me may wish upon the lamp," Properly rebuked, he turned to Soun Tendo. "What is your wish, Master?"

"Ooof!"

Eyes turned back to find Genma doubled over, his son's elbow having been applied brutally to the father's gut.

"That's for not wishin' both our curses away, Pops," Ranma elaborated on the elbow, pulling it away from the stricken man with a sucking sound. "'Cides, didn't I tell ya not to screw with the monks?"

The father balked at the suggestion by lunging at his son, squabbling despite the fact that there was now what amounted to a Djinni in their midst. The mythical being watched their argument with a most amused expression on his face while Soun Tendo considered his wish carefully.

"Doesn't Daddy get three wishes?" Nabiki's direct question to the Djinni effectively stopped any and all argument between the Saotome father and son. Three wishes meant ample opportunity to wish away their curses, after all.

For his part, the gaseous entity merely chuckled. "Were the biped who bound me to this lamp both skilled and powerful, perhaps. Suffice to say, he was not and was only able to exact one wish from our… negotiations."

All eyes turned from the Djinni and back to the bearer of the single wish, who contemplated his dilemma. When he and Genma had first discussed it, it had all seemed so easy… Wish Akane and Ranma together in a happy marriage. It was only now that the wish was in hand, so to speak, that the true power that he wielded was realized. For instance, he could very well wish Kamiko back into the world of the living. It was a sobering thought, that. Surely Genma would forgive the change of plan…

"I wish… my wife…"

"No," The smoldering blue man held out his hand, stopping Soun's request cold. "Returning loved ones from beyond the veil is not within my power. Nor, for that matter, is wishing for more wishes or more power than I myself have been imbued with. Please keep these limitations in mind when wishing."

"Jeez, didn't think you needed an instruction manual for wishin'," Ranma commented and the Djinni smiled, snapping his fingers. The air exploded before him and a massive leather bound book materialized, instantly dropping to the earth with a thud. The wide tome was easily five encyclopedias thick.

"There is," The Djinni motioned to the huge book now lying at Ranma's feet. "Nobody ever bothers to read it."

Ranma arched an eyebrow, running a finger along the thick layer of dust over the hide bound cover. "Can see why."

Soun barely paid the book any mind. If he couldn't wish Kamiko back then there was only one other thing of value to be wished for. "I've decided."

"Then wish, O'Master!"

"I wish…" Three daughters, one best friend and his son hung on every word. "I wish for Ranma to fulfill his honor to the Tendo family!"

Ranma blinked. He wasn't the only one. "Wha-?"

"MWAWAHAHAHA!" The Djinni bellowed, amusement plainly evident on his smoky face. "A poorly worded wish if there ever was! I suppose it is up to me to interpret your desires correctly!"

"Very poorly worded," Nabiki simply shook her head, disappointed. "And couldn't you have wished for something a bit more lucrative?"

She quickly found her misgivings ignored as the Djinni turned to the stunned Ranma Saotome. "Soun Tendo's wish is for you to fulfill your honor toward his family."

The moment broke and the pigtailed boy simply rolled his eyes. "Ain't nothing' new there."

"Then you shall forgive me for indulging myself," The wispy Djinni bowed in a grandiose manner, and the smile began to make Ranma nervous. "Tell me, you are a martial artist, are you not?"

"The best."

"Excellent!" The man clapped, delighted. "And as a martial artist, you are tasked with defending the weaker bipeds amongst you?"

A small voice in the back of Ranma's mind began screaming, the same voice that usually accompanied Amazon attacks, kidnappers of the month and other such super villains that regularly stumbled across the humble Nerimian prefecture. "Yeah, so?"

"And what would you do when tasked between saving somebody helpless, like, hmmm…" The Djinni made a big production of thinking before snapping his fingers with inspiration. "Dear Kasumi Tendo here will do nicely!"

No sooner had he snapped then the eldest Tendo daughter was enveloped in a large, transparent bubble that shimmered with power. An 'oh my' instantly spilled from Kasumi's lips, though the audio component of the misgiving was clearly absorbed by the barrier.

"Hey! Let her go!" Akane charged forward, only to meet the creature's now cruel smile. His form began to shift away from the blue human he had manifested as and in to that of something more sinister and predatory. Its arms and torso thinned; fingers lengthening into smoky talons as the pleasant face was replaced by a sharp curved beak and glittering blue eyes.

Akane skidded to a halt as the new being before her looked as though it considered her a tasty morsel. Ranma stepped behind her and pulled Akane back, interposing himself between the insubstantial monster and his fiancée.

"Do you ignorant bipeds believe you can simply enslave one of our kind without consequence?" The beaked creature continued in the same well mannered-voice he had started with, a voice totally at odds with the form it now assumed. The slopped cranium turned toward Soun Tendo. "And thank you, master, for providing me with such a wonderful opportunity for vengeance!"

"Moko Takabisha!"

Ranma's ki bolt crossed the space instantly at point blank range, blowing a large hole through the now demonic looking Djinni and continuing on into the property wall beyond. Whatever devastation the bolt of pure life force managed to impart on the wall failed to transfer into the real target, as the massive hole in its chest held form for a moment before smoke flowed back into the wound, sealing the damage completely. The creature simply chortled at his efforts

"Ha! None may interfere with the dispensation of a wish! Now where were we? Ah yes!" Two razor sharp talons clicked together with the rhetorical question and Genma found himself in a similar prison. A few punches from within the bubble quickly confirmed its robustness. "Now, as I was saying… No, wait. I am missing somebody."

Another snap of the wispy talons produced Nodoka Saotome in the same bubble as her husband. "Yes, that's better."

"Let… them… go…" Ranma growled as his mother came to terms with being transported away from cooking lunch within her home to being translocated to the Tendo Dojo and trapped. The martial artist began to glow brightly now, but the Djinni paid neither him nor his battle aura heed. Akane's brain was screaming to run to her sister's assistance but for once, that impulse was held in check. Something was tickling a basic instinct at the back of her mind that terrified her.

"You must let them go!" Soun demanded with more confidence than he felt against in the presence of such foreboding evil. "I am the master of the lamp and you must obey me!"

"Indee," The cruel smile was clearly communicated through that singular word. "You wished for Ranma to fulfill his honor to the Tendo family. He shall." The beak turned back to Ranma. "I shall let them go, but the choice is yours- Kasumi Tendo or your parents."

"And what's to stop me from kickin' your ass and saving em both?" Muscles began to tense as Ranma bought time for his next salvo, looking for a weakness in his opponent to strike at.

"Magic, of course!" The smoking wraith, still bound to the lamp admitted gleefully. "Both mine and the fool who tied me to this relic. It is such a pleasure to use the idiot's own machinations against him! But now, will you rescue the defenseless girl or your own blood? The one not chosen will, of course, die a hideous and painful death."

Genma's struggling from within his own bubble ceased, as did Nodoka's ineffectual pounding next to him. Even Kasumi Tendo's eyes went wide with the announcement. The pigtailed boy himself began to quiver and meter long claws of red ki flashed into existence along his knuckles, though he appeared not to notice.

"I ain't jokin'."

"And neither am I," The Djinni wraith nodded, pulling a small hourglass from its smoldering torso. He flipped it around delicately between two talon tips and red sand began to pour through the bottleneck. "You have one minute, else they both succumb to the same fate."

PhOOOooMP!

There was no warning this time as the ki blast tore through the intervening space separating Ranma Saotome from the creature, only to have to blow through the creature as it had before with no effect, save a surprised look on the Djinni's face. This time, the martial artist was right behind it, however, launching an aerial kick into the creatures form and following up with a burst from his Chestnut Fist technique. The smoldering creature never even flinched as blades of ki racked through its head, leaving little but streaking smoke to mark their passage. His opening salvo exhausted, Ranma flipped back and landed between the bubbles of Kasumi, Genma and Nodoka. A quick survey of his work indicated no damage and the tiny minute glass was already half depleted.

"This thing is serious," Ranma growled over his shoulder to the entrapped trio from a crouch. "I'll get Kas-chan out first, then get you both- "

"AN EXCELLENT CHOICE!" Ranma's eyes widened Djinni cackled happily, blue smoke roiling within the confines of its form. "I knew you would hold true to your martial arts code. Either way, the wish is to be fulfilled!"

Click!

It was a simple snap of the creature's talons, but the horrified faces on the remaining Tendos told Ranma everything he needed to know about the monsters actions. He spun around and glimpsed into hell itself. Kasumi was free of her confinement, but had lost her balance as she gaped at the horrific spectacle taking place. Flames had ignited within his parent's globe and both now withered in agony as both clothing and flesh were silently consumed from within the magical incinerator.

"Dance, mortals! Dan-"

"RAAAAAARRRRAAAAHHH!"

The embodiment of undistilled fury spun onto the laughing Djinni, cupping its hands as a pure ki pooled within them. Blue eyes shined with vengeance and Ranma snarled, unleashing a solid blue beam into the tormentor of his parents. An incandescent line of pure life force lanced ineffectually through the Djinni's torso before flickering out. Ranma launched himself in behind it, fully in the grip of nekoken rage. Ki claws came up and sliced diagonly through the smoking torso, then flashed back again in an ineffectual attempt to severe the beast from its lamp.

None of the attacks met resistance and Ranma tumbled through the Djinni but recovered quickly, only to be stopped by the sight of two skeletonal pyres withering in broad daylight. They seemed to stand upright a moment longer, as if held there by will alone before collapsing into a bonfire of carbon cinders and bone.

The Djinni sighed as Ranma sank to his knees. "A pity you humans don't last longer. You all make for such brief entert- Ooh!" Another kick blasted though his head and for a moment, he stared into the blue eyes of unrestrained fury. Ranma Saotome put everything he had into the next punch, prompting the creature to simply laugh. "Much as I would like to indulge your bloodlust, I cannot. The lamp's power is already gathering to take me far away from this comedy of ignorance and stupidity."

Another ki blast splashed through him, and for a moment, the Djinni felt the smallest twinge of… concern. It was a damn good thing the boy didn't know a thing about his kind or magic; else he might actually be a threat with that sort of determination. It shrugged the worry off and turned back to the kneeling, horrified form of Soun Tendo. "Regardless, thank you for the entertainment, master! I should only hope for another as ignorant and self serving as yourself!"

Ranma's next punch flew through the monster as the Djinnis smoking body seemed to collapse in upon itself while simultaneously being pulled back into the lamp. The Saotome recovered only fast enough to watch the cloud disappear entirely into the lamp before being enveloped in a bright light. It pulsed blindingly once and Ranma was left staring at empty ground; beyond that, the charred remains of his parents. One of the sisters threw up off to the side, but tearing his gaze away to find out which was all but impossible for the pigtailed boy.

The final embers of the Djinni's magically fueled inferno drifted away with the wind leaving the scorched remains to smolder restlessly.

Genma and Nodoka Saotome, ages 42 and 38, were dead.


Nabiki took another nervous glance across the Tendo courtyard and up into the dimming evening sky. Outlined there were the familiar lines of their dojo and atop it, the crouching form of Ranma Saotome. The redhead hadn't moved for hours since the departure of the police, who had grudgingly accepted the fact of yet another supernatural occurrence in their precinct. It was also a sad fact that the late Genma Saotome had a criminal record half a kilometer long, which in turn contributed to the officers' reluctance to probe the incident any deeper. "Another felon off the streets," she had heard one of the officers say.

Nabiki Tendo shivered with the recent memory and the statement. She was all but certain Ranma had heard the careless remark as well, though the only evidence that he had done so was the sharp decrease in ambient temperature around him. The frost on the lawn where he stood had opened her eyes a great deal in that moment. The martial artist whom she had passed off as clueless, naïve, and damaged was also one of incredible self control.

There was no doubt that he could break the offending officer and decimate his associates with next to no effort, and the middle Tendo morbidly wondered how high the death toll would climb if that self control snapped, let alone who would be at the top of his list when it did. She didn't like the answers that silent question produced. As it was, the teen martial artist simply stared impassively and answered their questions, as if the small men asking them weren't poking the dragon in their midst with a stick and allowed them to leave with all their vital organs intact. The next time she saw Ranma, he was a she and had retreated to the dojo rooftop where none dared follow.

Daddy had, of course, drank himself into drunken oblivion after the police left, eliminating any traces of sobriety with extreme prejudice, with consciousness following shortly thereafter. Probably for the best, Nabiki reasoned, taking another involuntary glance at the figure above. The last thing Ranma needed was to be confronted by the person who was in-part responsible for the death of her mother and father.

Speaking of confrontations…

Father may have been comatose, but there was still damage control to be done. Nabiki strode briskly through the house and up the stairs all but ignoring her still shell-shocked eldest sister on the way up stair. Not that she could blame her. The heavy chaos almost always happened far away from their home and always ended happily. It was probably inevitable, she decided, clearing the last step and passing her own room in short order. She of all people knew you could only beat the odds so many times before they caught up with you, and they finally had here in a spectacularly gruesome manner.

Knock-knock-knock.

Nabiki stood at Akane's door for a moment, then pushed it open without invitation, finding the girl simply staring at the ceiling from her bed. There was little doubt in her mind that the same scenes of burning remains were playing out in her little sister's mind, just as they had been hers for the last four hours. Much as she wanted to let her sister deal with the trauma in her own way, the most lethal martial artist this side of Tokyo was sitting on their roof, balancing on a hair trigger.

The youngest Tendo didn't even look as Nabiki stepped into her room. "He needs you," Akane remained motionless. "He… she's on the roof right now, brooding."

"Yeah," Was the only word her sister uttered and Nabiki took it as an invitation, sitting on her sister's bed.

"No, Akane, this is bad," She continued, deadly serious. "You know how he retreats to his curse when he can't handle the situation. I'm no psychotherapist, but it's his emotional outlet whether he admits it or not."

Akane turned from her pillow to consider her sister's words. Nabiki immediately noted the puffy red eyes, but pressed forward. "When you get angry or depressed, you break bricks. When Ranma gets depressed, she takes it out on the ice cream stores. If it's really bad, he uses the curse to cry it out. But this… We both know from experience this is something that you can't just cry away."

The sister simply nodded as her own thoughts were invariably drawn off to their late mother before focusing on the crisis at hand. "I don't think he wants to see me right now…"

Nabiki found her rare moments of sympathy increasing in frequency, nodding with her sister. "I'm sure he doesn't want to see anybody now, but he needs to see somebody… I'm not that person and Kasumi really doesn't handle this sort of stuff well."

Akane remained silent, prompting Nabiki to play the last card in her hand. "You saw the lawn." The youngest sister simply nodded. "We can't afford to leave him alone right now."

Akane stared at her sister in silence. She remembered the lawn. She remembered the nearly invisible vapor rolling off her fiancée, crystallizing the blades of grass at his feet. She remembered, and Nabiki's words hit her with absolute clarity. Akane sat up from her position and wiped an eye clear. "I'll… I'll try."

Nabiki watched as Akane stood up slowly and put one foot in front of the other. Resigned to her fate, the girl slid her door open and stepped out. Nabiki watched after the door a moment longer before falling back onto the empty bed herself, mentally exhausted. Normally she loved her games of manipulation, but today, those stakes had become far too high to be enjoyed. A super powered martial artist was on the edge and she had just sent her sister in to calm him down. It wasn't one of her better moments, but if Akane's fiancé did snap, Daddy was more than likely first on the list, followed by herself shortly there after depending on how Ranma felt.

The sad fact was that Akane was probably the best chance they had of calming Ranma down, and she had just sent her sister into the breech.


"Told him not to screw with the monks."

Akane simply sat with Ranma in silence as the boy stared off into the dusk sky from his rooftop perch, revisiting the cruelty inflicted upon his parents. The callous remark struck his fiancée such that she felt the need to defend the departed father.

"He was just trying to—"

"Help?" Ranma snorted scornfully, her eyes never leaving the fading horizon. "Help himself, maybe. Him and your old man."

The youngest Tendo opened her mouth, but there was little to say on the matter. Even if it had merely been an annoyance before, there was simply no denying the fact now. Their parents had been willing to wish them together through supernatural means… And suffered the consequences in a horrific manner.

"My old man… He deserved that." Ranma growled, prompting Akane's eyes to widen to the size of dinner plates. "Don't look at me like that. Call it whatever you want, but karma finally caught up to the panda."

"But—"

"And you know the worst part about all this?" The martial artist's blue eyes locked onto Akane's sparkling with resentment. "My Mom didn't do a goddamn thing to deserve that."

Akane's head turned to view the court yard of her home almost mechanically, as if directed to do so by an outside force beyond her control. That was a scorch mark just outside the house; a meter of blackened grass and earth. Her stomach instantly began to feel queasy again.

"Screw him and screw your old man," The girl spat before her smoldering resentment moved on to a new topic of malcontent. A dark chuckle fell from her lips. "Ranma Saotome never loses, eh? Looks like he lost big today."

Akane knew self recrimination when she heard it and attempted to intervene, putting her hand gently on the redhead's own. "There's nothing you could have done! Nobody could have known they were going to summon a dinnji!"

"And that's the point, 'Kane," Ranma shook his head, his voice drained of life. "I'm the best of the best. Twelve and a half years of martial arts since before I could even walk. I've beatin' opponents others can only dream of… And how much good did it do me? My life… a waste."

"It's not…" Akane returned softly, though her words went largely unheard.

"Some man I turned out to be," She snorted with bitter sarcasm. "Couldn't even kick that cartoon reject's ass."

She stood up abruptly and stepped to the edge. Panic shot through the Tendo girl as she contemplated just what Ranma might have on her mind at this point. Jumping off the roof wouldn't kill the martial artist by any stretch of the imagination. No, she was worried about what the redhead would be doing after that. "Ranma… don't even think about—"

"Killin' myself?" Ranma looked over her shoulder, a dead smile on her face. "Cut my belly open with my Mom's blade?"

Akane blinked. That was pretty much exactly what she had been expecting.

"Nah." Ranma shook her head. "That's too good for me."

Akane opened her mouth to rebuke girl's dark logic, but she was already gone off the roof and into the night.


Peace and quiet.

Normally it was something Ranma Saotome, now head of clan Saotome would have killed for. A break from rivals, a break from fiancées', a break from pressure and most of all, a break from the grind. Today was just such a break…

…In the worst possible way.

The peace and quiet now pervaded the last place he would wish it to, that being the empty living room of her now empty home. No lights were on as she stood alone in the dark, considering her fate. She hadn't won. Being the best hadn't mattered a damn bit. Because she couldn't hack it, they were dead.

A martial artist protects the weak.

Yeah, so much for that. Got Kasumi out, but only because the damn thing let her out. Silence was the only reply to her missive as she continued to sink deeper into her depression. Thirteen years of marital arts… her entire life a waste.

Time I could have been with Mom.

Stupid goddamn fucking Panda, Ranma snarled mentally. If he had known the lazy asshole's martial arts quest would have led them to this point, he would have kicked his ass and said to hell with it all. To hell with the fiancées, to hell with the arranged marriage, to hell with all of it.

The redhead stood in the dark for a moment before crossing the moonlit room, lifting her mother's sheathed katana from the wall mounting. Technically, seppuku was a job best left to a tanto, but she didn't exactly have one handy. Ranma studied the curvature of the sheathed blade, its spackled red and black finish muted by shadow and darkness. Metal hissed softly as she exposed an inch of steel to open air. A katana would work just as well and all the more ironic it would be the family honor blade.

CliCK!

Honor my ass. Her thoughts hissed bitterly, snapping the katana fully back into its sheath. This is where the Saotome family honor had led them all… Rivals, fiancées and the slaughter of her entire family. Not just my family honor, either… That pathetic excuse for my old man's best friend had a hand in this too.

Ranma's thoughts took a substantially darker turn as he contemplated Soun Tendo's survival in spite of his own personal greed. Shoulda died with the panda, not Mom…Maybe I'll finish the job…Then take out that bag of flesh he calls a master for even introducing the assholes to begin with.

The katana fell to the carpeted floor as the blade slipped from her grasp. No, she wouldn't do that, Maybe if it were just Nabiki… But not Akane. Not Kasumi. She wouldn't punish them for the sins of their fathers.

No, that punishment was hers to bear. Punishment for not seeing the world for what it was sooner. Punishment for letting things spiral so far out of control, and punishment for failing to be that which she had proclaimed time and time again.

"The best," She spat, as if the entire concept was an ephitat and sank to the floor. Ranma melted bonelessly to the carpeted as tears began to cloud her eyes. She had failed and her loved ones had suffered…

…Even that bastard father of hers.


All things considered, it was the beautiful morning the weather forecaster had predicted, Akane noted on her walk to school. It was all due to an area of high pressure that had settled over Tokyo, keeping the rain at bay and the temperatures pleasantly mild, much like the days before. Sure, there were showers predicted for the weekend, but the remainder of the week promised to blue skies…

…Even if a shroud of darkness hung over her every action. Beside her was Nabiki. The number of times her older sister had actually walked with her to school over the last year could be counted on two hands, but her sibling had escorted her for nearly a week straight without complaint. She knew part of it was a show or moral support. Part of it… There was a part that Akane just couldn't identify, but she appreciated the company none the less.

It was also a quiet day, she observed as they passed through the gates of Furikan High. No martial arts challenges, no betting pools and no 'die Ranma die'. Akane looked about the students socializing in the front courtyard, half of which were looking back at her and her sister expectantly for exactly the same reason she was looking at them. Another scan of the crowd more or less confirmed her suspicions and fears with a sigh. Ranma Saotome was missing, missing for the forth day in a row.

"I'll go check, okay?" Nabiki replied to the unbidden sigh, to which her sister silently nodded. With that affirmation, the middle Tendo backtracked to the edge of the courtyard where a trio of school girls waited. Her face hardened from the looser emotions that played about it into a cool poker face as she got down to business. "What are we looking at?"

"Nothing at the ice cream parlors or restaurants." The first girl reported. Nabiki nodded, turning to the second.

"Same with the bridge." The girl picked up, flipping through a small notebook. "If he's hiding, it isn't there or under it like he usual does."

"Not at Ukyo's or the Cat Café." The third girl rounded out, shaking her head. "Still haven't checked his house. I'm betting—"

"Nobody," Nabiki focused on the girl suddenly, bringing her full Ice Queen persona to bear, "but nobody goes near that house." She swept the cold gaze across all three girls. "Is that absolutely clear?"

Of the three girls suddenly finding themselves nodding, only one was able to find their voice. "But… why?"

The Tendo sister considered the inevitable question and answered with an answer she had worked out well in advance. "It's process of elimination. We find Ranma by finding where he isn't. I won't go into details at the moment, but going near that house may very well be hazardous to your health."

She didn't bother mentioning the fact that the hazard to their health existed solely because of their association with her.

"Well, I guess that doesn't stop us from selling the location to—" The same girl continued undeterred, only to find herself on the receiving end of the cold glare once more.

You're too good of a student, Mono-chan, Nabiki frowned mentally but kept the full ice queen persona in place.

"-To nobody. The only information that you can be privy to at the moment is that something very bad has happened," She stressed her words. "We stir the pot now and the shit will not only roll downhill, but uphill, sideways and upside down before it's all done. I'll make sure you're all well compensated for your efforts, but that's the most you get for now, clear?"

All three girls nodded without objection. "Good," Nabiki purposely dropped the hard edge of her frost demeanor, scanning the trio. "Otherwise, it's any other day. Usa, you've got rumors. Mono, debt collection. Natsume, stay on Kuno."

"Not Kuno!" The dark brown haired girl groaned, shaking her head emphatically. "Have a heart, boss!"

"Sorry for your luck," The girl named Usa snorted. "The Ice Queen doesn't have a heart."

Something about the comment caused part of Nabiki's soul to shrink unexpectedly, but Monoko was already talking before she could analyze it. "I'll take pity on you, Su-chan. I've done rumors for the past three days. I'll trade you, but you'll owe me."

"Anything!"

"Okay with you boss?" Her subordinate asked, eliciting a shrug from the Tendo.

"As long as it gets done. She returned. "I'll be—"

"I said not now, baka!"

All four pairs of eyes were drawn to the angry yell echoing across the court yard as the attention of the entire student body focused on one short haired girl and a taller boy sporting a hamak and bokken. Nabiki sighed, identifying the two easily. "Speaking of Kuno…"

The upper classman broke from the meeting and started toward her younger sister and Furikan's resident idiot. Even if arguing hadn't been heard by the entire student body, it wasn't hard to guess at the contents of their bickering. Surely enough, Tatewake Kuno's reply all but confirmed the matter.

"But I must know!" The kendoist continued his rant already in progress, further angering the youngest Tendo. "The most foul sorcerer hast not appeared at all this week! If he has been laid low, we must strike!"

Nabiki watched the scene play out. Akane cast a glare upon Kuno that only the insane could ignore. Even the people in there immediate vicinity took a step back. "Shut up! Just shut up, shut up, SHUT UP you clueless idiot! You have no idea what's going on! And if you don't shut up, I'll shut your moronic—"

"Sis," Nabiki attempted to force as much calm into the word as possible. Akane's head whipped around and it was all Nabiki could do not to blanch at the fury inhabiting her sister's face as she attempted to draw her off. "I'll take care of Kuno. You hurry on to class, okay?"

The rage settled into simmering anger, acknowledging her elder sister with a crisp nod before burning Kuno with a another glare and departing for the school entrance. The upperclassman failed to take the hint and moved to follow when Nabiki stepped in to block his progress.

"Kuno baby, what's up?" Nabiki smiled easily, a smile that her victim was not fooled by in the least.

"Stand aside, meddlesome Tendo," He ordered imperviously. "Something has my fiery tigress agitate and I must ascertain what!"

"Forget who you're talking to, Kuno?" Nabiki arched an eyebrow skeptically, forcibly reminding the boy just who brokered the information flowing into and out of Furikan. "Perhaps I can help you out without 'agitating' my sister further."

The upper classman adopted a sage look of contemplation. "Mayhaps it is for the best. Your usual rates?"

"Of course. Mono-chan will fill you in on the details while I check on Akane," Nabiki confirmed, turning away from her mark while brushing by Monoko, leaning in with a whisper. "Take his money, lead him around by the nose but keep it vague. You know the drill." Her cohort nodded silently and Nabiki smiled back at the kendoist. "Ja-ne, kuno-chan."

The boy scowled at Nabiki's back with the familiar title, but quickly turned his attention to Mokoto. "Sasuke! My wallet!" The ninja phased into existence next to Kuno, already subserviently bowing while offering the wallet. The Kuno heir took the wallet without a thought and began to pull several tan sheets from it. "The retainer fee."

Mokoto smiled, counting the money. Natsume had no idea what she was missing. The upper classman may be borderline psychotic, but he pays out like a loose pachinko parlor, she grinned mentally, then carried out Nabiki's plan. "Nobody has seen Ranma for days and we know for certain he hasn't been by the dojo."

"Truly?" Kuno confirmed, gaining a wild glint in his eyes. "If something has driven the viper from its nest, I must find out what! Hath thou further information?"

Mokoto nodded agreeably. "Only that he hasn't been in the company of any of his other fiancées either. Details are scarce at the moment, but once we learn more—"

"I shall pay any amount!" The upper classman practically burst, brandishing his bokken. "Anything to smite the wretch that would cause my fiery tigress angst! Undoubtedly, it is he that is responsible for the absence of the vibrant pigtailed girl as well!"

Mokoto heard nothing after the words 'any amount' as her eyes tracked the wide fan of cash flailing around within the kendoist grasp. Her brain rebooted seconds later as the rant continued, her mind on an altogether different track now. She glanced over her shoulder, finding neither Nabiki nor her other associates in sight. "Did you say any amount?"

"Of course!" Tatewake confirmed. "No expense is too great in order to spare my goddesses their suffering!"

Mokoto looked over her shoulder again, then smiled a sharks smile before taking the entire wad of cash from Kuno's hand. "Then I might have just the information you require…"


"And I still say this is not a good idea."

"And I don't care." Akane returned matter-of-factly continuing her after school trek down an anonymous street of the Nermian suburb. "I'm going to see him."

"But—" Nabiki inserted as she kept pace, only to be cut off by her younger sister.

"But nothing," She retorted. "He can't keep hiding from the world." She stopped short, as if suddenly realizing something. The dark blue haired girl turned on her sister. "Why don't you want to help?"

Nabiki's mouth suddenly went dry. "I…"

"You're not up to something are you?" Akane accused, fixing the girl with a sharp stare. Nabiki's expression went from pensive to offended instantly.

"No!" She wanted to say 'Hell no!' in reality. Pissing off a super powered martial artist any further than she already had was not at the top of her list of things to do. Still, it was a justified accusation, she realized soberly, and dropped any indignation she was feeling with a sigh. "Look, no. I'm trying to help. I'm feeding the fiancées general, worthless information at the moment. It won't hold forever, but it will last them long enough for us to find out just what's happening with Saotome."

Akane held her gaze for a moment before accepting the answer with a nod, continuing her trek down the sidewalk. "But even I can tell there's something else, sis."

The silence held for another five minutes of walking before Nabiki continued in a subdued tone. "Right now Ranma has a shit list, Akane, and I'm relatively certain Nabiki Tendo is somewhere near the top of it. I'm doing what I can to help, but he's depressed and angry, so I'm not sure it even matters to him."

Akane blinked back at Nabiki. Her sister- the famed Ice Queen of Furikan –was scared? Of Ranma? "What makes you think he would even…?"

"That night. With the police, Akane," Nabiki shook her head slowly. "I watched the entire thing when they weren't questioning us. There was nothing in his eyes. Nothing. He was frosting the goddamn lawn, sis." The youngest Tendo considered her words in silence as Nabiki continued. "I'm very good at reading people and I know where the line is when dealing with them. That line moved dramatically in the wrong direction that night with Ranma."

"I think you're reading too much into it," Akane commented, barely hiding her amazement that her sister was actually scared of anybody. "You're trying to help and Ranma's never been the vengeful type. Stubborn, reckless, egotistical, mout—" The sister caught herself with a frown, as if she had broken some unspoken pact with herself. "Anyway, he's just not the sort."

Both sisters rounded a street corner and the Saotome household came into view three blocks from their current position. Nabiki suppressed a shiver as Ranma dead eyes reappeared in her own minds eye, and it was only minutes later that Akane was knocking on the Saotome house door.

I am not looking forward to this, Nabiki grumbled mentally. The missive escaped her lips. "I hope you're right, Akane."

Akane spared her a skeptical glance before returning to her knocking. "Ranma! Get out here!" Her fist hammered at the door with another round of thudding. "Ranma! I know you're in there!"

No response. Nabiki shrugged half heartedly. "Guess he's not here after all. Let's go—"

"No more moping! Get out here!" Akane ignored her sister and continued beating the door. "I'll break this door down if you don't get out here! You know I can—"

Her next round knocking met air as the door swung open, causing her to snatch the hand back lest she hit the opener. Even as she did this, Akane couldn't help but to stare at just who had opened the door. It was Ranma in his girl-type… Sort of. The girl before them was a bedraggled mess, still in the same clothing she had fled from the Tendos with. The redhead was pale, had bags under her blood shot eyes, her clothing a wrinkled mess and…

"You stink." Akane stated matter of factly. Her blunt observation, however, failed to illicit the response she had been hoping for. The red headed girl eyed both sisters with little emotion then shrugged.

"Probably." She agreed blandly, then focused on her fiancée. "What do you want, Akane?"

Akane was left speechless for a moment before her brain reengaged. "We're here for you, baka."

The red headed martial artist didn't even blink. "And here I am."

Now Akane couldn't help but to stare as irritation began to simmer under a blanket of concern. "We're here to help you, idiot."

The girl slowly shook her head in a lifeless manner. "Don't need your help, 'Kane. Just go home, okay?"

The door began to swing closed, Akane too stunned to stop it. Just like that, she had been dismissed. No witty comebacks. No verbal repartee. Just… Nabiki forced her foot into the door, stopping it from closing completely in order to buy her sister some time. "We're not done helping yet, Saotome."

The door reopened and Nabiki instantly wished it hadn't. The redhead's dead blue eyes held her and this time she couldn't help but to take a step back. It had taken all the courage she could muster to put her foot in the door in order to help her sister recover what was left of the meeting. Prior to that, she had been more than happy to remain unnoticed- ignored –off to the side. Now she was Ranma Saotome's focus and it was the last place she wanted to be.

"Here to help too, huh, Nabiki?" The feminine pitch wasn't angry. It wasn't spiteful. It was just… Emotionless. Dead. "You really don't want to help any more than ya already have."

Nabiki was agreeing emphatically within the confines of her psyche. All in all, he was right. She really didn't want to be here, but she wasn't about to abandon her sister to whatever Ranma was feeling at the moment. "Possibly not, but—"

"PIGTAILED GIRL!"

In that moment, something inside Nabiki curled up and died as Ranma's gaze lost its emotionless features and gained a hard edge without ever looking for the source of the cry. Rarely prone to curse herself, the only words running through her brain at that very moment were "Oh fuck."

A quick glance at Ranma's feet confirmed the worst. Frost. "Um, Akane…"

"Aiyah! Why Ranma hide from Shampoo!"

"Ranma honey!"

"So this has been where you've been hiding, Cassanova!"

"I shall save you pigtailed girl!"

"Ohohohohoho! I shall exact revenge for my Ranma-sama!"

Ranma hadn't even turned back to the mob approaching from the street, her gaze locked on the Tendo the entire time. "Leave. Now."

Nabiki took a step back and this time, Akane saw exactly what her sister had been afraid of. She was right. Ranma was on the edge. Too close to the edge, and somehow events had just conspired to push him over. For the first time, she was seeing just what her fiancée had become… A person with absolutely nothing to live for and nothing to lose.

"It's not her fault!" Akane blurted, now feeling some measure of her sisters anxiety. "She's been helping!"

"NOW WHERE AM?"

"Helping." It wasn't so much a question as it was a damning accusation despite the flat tone it was spoken in. Akane watched the group approach from multiple vectors, realizing with absolute clarity just how badly this looked for Nabiki and offered a firm nod in her defense. Lifeless blue eyes flicked from fiancée to sister before passing judgment.

The short redhead stepped past the pair without a word to meet the encroaching visitors at the grassy property line. Shampoo bounced happily while Ukyo sent a casual wave forth. Tatewake strode confidentially forth while his sister leaped around behind him, ribbon a-twirl. Mousse began to brandish edged weaponry and Ryoga locked onto the commotion, homing in on the gathering like moth to the flame. Even as the storm continued to gather, Akane was practically screeching a whisper at her sister.

"What the hell is this?" She hissed, causing the older sister to wince. "If you're lying to me…!"

"This is not my doing!" Nabiki shook her head emphatic, part of her offended that such an accusation would even be leveled at her, the other part knowing that in her heart of hearts she deserved it in its entirety. "The only people who even know anything is happening is our family, the police and…" Nabiki's eyes widened. "Dammit, they'll wish they were never even born by the time I'm through with them!"

Even as Nabiki realized the critical flaw in her well intentioned efforts, the perfect martial arts storm was brewing just behind them.

"Hold, fowl curr!"

"Baked you some Okanomiyaki, Ran-chan!"

"Airen no eat pizza, have noodles!"

"Prepare for your demise, redheaded wench!"

"I'll defeat you for Shampoo!"

"I've seen hell because of-OOF!"

All talking ceased as Ranma walked up to the strongest martial artist in the group and sucker punched him with every erg of strength she possessed, blowing the air out of his lungs and causing him to vomit painfully as he fell to his knees gagging. The redhead impassively considered the stricken lost boy for a moment before turning her attention to the now shocked gathering. "All engagements are off. Now leave."

Ranma didn't bother to wait for replies and turned on heel, making her way back to the house where she paused beside Akane. "Thanks anyway, Tomboy."

This time there was a measure of sorrow in the girl's voice. She offered the slightest of smiles- heartbreaking in itself –before stepping back inside the house and shutting the door. The bittersweet moment held for a precious moment before all chaos broke loose.

"What—" cough, "What the—" cough, "the hell was that?"

"It is good that the violent harlot should break off her pursuit of my Ranma-sama."

"Aiyaaaah…"

"Saotome was… Serious."

"Ran…chan?"

"She is free of the dark sorcerer's—"

"SHUT UP." Nabiki commanded in her coldest tone, silencing the group instantly. "Unless you want you want to be eating your next meals through a straw, SHUT. UP."

She turned to Akane, whom she noted was still in shock. Looks like explanations are up to me… She took a deep, weary breath. "Ranma's going through a bad time. A very bad time. Whatever you think you know about Ranma is, as of this moment, wrong."


Author's Notes; Long time in coming, this chapter. had some writer's block in certain areas and took even longer to work up editing, but finally busted through both. Hope you enjoy it. Chapters will alternate present/past, 2kw into ch3.

1d4 Insults; Yes, I realize these references step over the fifth pyramid of writing, But it amuses me. Humor me, please?

You Call this Archeology! It started completely by accident, but the more I thought on the matter, the more I could see Genma's history being like that of an Indiana Jones like character, sans the good will aspect. It became very easy to see Genma and Soun looting tombs and such at the behest of Happosai, trigging every manner of traps, being chased by villagers, etc etc; allowing the opening scene and other off comments about Genma's past to quickly find their ways into the fic. Hell, it's almost enough to inspire a stand alone fic.

Special thanks to Amy and Dustin for that little extra oomf. Editing by me, but it was the best I could do just to publish in the here and now.


Age of Titans
Pt3
Ozzallos

Building light,
The long road.
Through destinies' peril
The champions sleep.

Hotaru Tome settled onto the elevated padded be with a smile as the doctor before her donned his spectacles and returned the smile, then studied the clipboard he bore. The Sneshi of Silence waited patient for him to flip through the sheets of paper attached to the clipboard as he studied the results of his newest round of tests. All things considered, she wasn't fond of doctors in general, but this one was the exception. She had seen many throughout her childhood and most had been unable to help her with her anemic condition while others simply saw her as a guinea pig once they found out about her gift. The slight apprehension created by those memories quickly faded as the doctor before set aside his clip board, and she silently thanked Setsuna-mama for introducing her to this one as he was easily one of the nicest, most honest physicians she had ever met.

The fact that he was so darn cute didn't hurt matters either.

"I'd say the Tai Chi has definitely been helping out." He commented, pushing his glasses up and circling behind her and placed a palm on her left shoulder, moving downward in discrete increments on her back before circling back around the front of her bed and placing the same palm on her forehead. "Have you been feeling much strain?"

"A little, Tofu-san." Hotaru answered honestly. "Is that bad?"

"Not at all." Doctor Tofu smiled reassuringly. "A little strain is to be expected, as long is it just that—A little."

"Just a little." The girl nodded agreeably. "I can take deeper breaths too."

"That is definitely a positive—" The door to their room clicked open, admitting a short redhead who was donning white lab coat even as she stepped across the threshold.

"You wouldn't believe the traffic today." The woman sighed, still not having looked up from fishing a stethoscope out of the coat pocket. "It was the best I could do just to—"

"Aunt Saotome!"

"Ooff!" Ranma lurched as Ono's patient hopped of the bed and wrapped the new arrival in a cruching hug that seemed quite at odds with her frail nature. Ranma smiled fondly at the girl, patting her gently on the head. "Well now this is a welcome surprise. And how is my favorite patient today?"

Hotaru induldged in the hug a moment longer before answering. "Doctor Tofu say I'm getting better."

"Well I could have told you that and I'm not even a doctor." The woman scruffed the girl's head once more before extracting herself from the embrace. "You've definitely gotten stronger since I last saw you. The Tai Chi?"

Hotaru nodded and Ranma cast a glance at the doctor, who also nodded. "Her immune system is also picking up. Assuming we keep up the pressure points, I would expect her to reach the point where we won't be able to tell the difference between Hotaru and a normal fourteen year old girl."

"Aunt Cologne will be happy to hear it." The doctor's assistant smiled down at the girl. "You've got a lot of people looking forward to your recovery, you know?"

Hotaru was beaming now. This was why she loved this doctor's office… Doctor Tofu was the nicest physician she had ever met and Ms. Saotome treated her a little sister. Ono watched the touching reunion and made a decision. "I'm sure you can handle Miss Tomei here, Ranma. I'll go take care Mrs. Nakari."

Ranma nodded a silent thanks and shooed the girl back to her table. "From that hug, I can tell you're keeping up with your therapy. How about school?" Ranma circled back around behind the table. "Shirt, please."

Hotaru unbuttoned the shirt easily, reveailing a plain white bra and pale flesh. Ranma pressed her fingers lightly to the base of her spine, following the lines of ki. "Okay, I guess. I'm doing good on my tests, but geography is…" Her voice trailed off, gaining a bit of uncertainty.

"MMMmmm?" Ranma probed with exaggerated interest, then poked at a nerve cluster along her sixth vertabra as if to emphasis the point. In reality, is was a particularly nasty clump of chi gathering along her ki pathways. If not delt with, the clump would sap the girl's energy and weaken her, much as others had already done. Eight months ago her entire system had been clogged with the anamolies.

Today, they had reduced the blockages to only three primary clusters while simultaneously building her stamina. Between what she knew of Ono's school and the Cologne's techniques, she had been knocking them out steadily while building her stamina with the Tai Chi… The theory was that while she was knocking out the big stuff, her own physiology would keep up the new status quo. Ranma poked at the same cluster, and inch to the right.

Hotaru shook her head as a wave of dizziness accompanied the pokes, a sensation she was well familiar with by now. She regained her equilibrium and answered. "I'm… not doing so well in geography… The teacher says I should concentrate more, but…"

Ranma's fingers moved away from the cluster and continued their journey up the school girl's spine, idly wondering what was causing the part time Senshi consternation. If it had been her in geography, the lapse in concentration would easily be explained by her being bored out of her skull. Ranma chuckled at the memory, but then, this was Hotaru. Gentle, studious and an all around attentive person. She new after seven months of pressure point, acupuncture and shiatsu therapy that Hotaru was the last person to—Her brain bridged the gap.

"It's the boys again, isn't it?" The senshi produced the slightest of nods and Ranma frowned. A senshi she may be, but she hadn't had it easy in a child. Among the many speed bumps along the way had been people finding out about the girl's gift, either treating her as a freak or case study along the way. It was a feeling Ranma herself knew all too well. "Well, I imagine they'll grow out of it eventually, realize what a petty girl you are and ask you out, but until then then…"

"Some…Some of the girls, this time, too." Hotaru frowned, then watched with wonder as her physician's mood brightened.

"Well that's not so bad then." Ranma replied encouragingly, her fingers tracking across the middle of her spine to the left side of her back, pressing three points lightly in rapid succession. "Girls tend to be more specific about their dislikes, usually because you're prettier or so something better then them. I've found it's even worse if a guy is involved."

"Ah… I see?"

The redhead nodded, continuing her work along her ki pathways. "Just look at it this way… They are either jealous because of your looks, you are doing something better than them or you have the attention of a guy they like."

Hotaru blinked as everything suddenly came into focus. Was it really that simple? They… Envied her?

"Hold on to the edge, little Firefly," Ranma advised softly and Hotaru's hand found the mattress lip, knowing what was about to occur. A particularly large clump of chi, as it had been related to her in past treatments and Miss Saotome was about to break it up. If past experience was any indication, it wouldn't be a pleasant-

The world abruptly tipped over on its side and a gentle hand found her shoulder to keep to keep from falling off the bed with the sudden case of vertigo. Another sharp press And the vertigo abruptly disapated and the wobbling girl was left blinking. The redheaded adult peerer around the disoriented girl with an apologetic look. "That one was rather deep. Are you okay?"

"I... Yes, I'll be fine," She returned, still gathering her wits. Removing the clumps of chi was never fun, but it was a temporary inconvience... Not at first, though. When they first started the treatments, she would throw up almost violently and the Miss Saotome would be ready with the garbage can. These days, it was just dizziness.

"Good. That was the last one," A smile melted onto her physician's face, and she wandered away from the table to open a drawer. Ranma removed a length of bundled purple cloth, and Hotaru recognized it immeditely, shifting positions to lay down on the bed she had sat upon. The woman nodded, unfurling the cloth to reveal twelve silvered lengths. "Time for the needles."

The needles, Hotaru reflected. Acupuncture, the second part of therapy. needles in anybody elses hands were something to be feared. She had been to other doctors and their needles, usually consisting of sharp jabs and stinging pricks. Miss Saotome, however, was a master. Their effects were felt , but the needles never were, and she almost always felt better after their employment.

"I was surprised you weren't with the girls Thursday," The woman continued easily, her finger tracing down the girl's back in precise intervals. Those, Hotaru felt. The needles, on the other hand... She could have had ten of them in her back and not know they were even there. "Usagi was happy to partake of your share of Tin Roof, however."

The news almost made Hotaru want to cry, but she settled for a sigh instead. "Haruka-papa's was racing that day... Michiru-mama and i were cheering her on."


Author's Notes: And there was a wail and gnashing of teeth. It's not that I don't like this fic, it's just I have time of finite quantity and there are other fics i'd like to work on more. if you would like to take this fic over, be my guest. If you are sending me a PM asking to take this fic over, I know you haven't read this and won't respond :) This is house cleaning and there will be a few others to follow.