A side story to Finishing what you start.

I don't own these people.

I've gotten less questions over this than I expected, but I decided to
write this side story anyway.  Some of you may be wondering about the
memory sequence in chapter three, where Ran pulls a razor on the other
two Tendo girls, or what Ranma had to talk about Ukyou about.  Here it
is.  I'm writing in third person limited, centered on Ukyou.

Side story: A tame ranch.

Morning.  A ring from the alarm clock sounds, and Ukyou is up.  She can
remember a time, not that long ago, when she had looked forward to the
day.

But that was before he left...

She stumbles through her morning ritual, the shower, the breakfast, the
dressing, ect.  She doesn't bathe that attentively, or eat quickly, or
even pay much attention to her clothes.  She didn't have anyone to be
clean for, or stay healthy for, or look good for.

***
"Ukyou," he had said.  "I'm leaving."

She hadn't known what to say.  His manner screamed that this wasn't good
news.

"I'm leaving," he continued, leaning forward.  "And I don't want you to
come after me."
***

Ukyou left her restaurant, and began her trip to school.  Around her,
the people of Nerima rejoice.  There hasn't been a battle in weeks, and
if the news was true, there might never be one again.  The source of all
the fights, the chaos, the destruction, had left.

Ukyou arrived at the school, stepping over the bodies of the moronic
mass of males that malignantly meet together, in the useless attempt to
gain the attention of the girl they want.  Despite her new hair cut.
Even through her depression, she can't help but smile.  She had thought
it had been a nice touch.

***
"What about the Tendos?" she asks desperately  Even if it was for them,
she would except that, desperately cling to any chance to be close to
him.

He chuckled darkly.  "I have made my feelings on that subject abundantly
clear."
***

Thos had been his words.  'Abundantly clear'.  Not, 'I talked to them',
or 'they understand'.  Hearing that phrase from him had been almost as
scary as what the words could mean.  She had come in the next day ready
for anything, but not expecting what she had found.

Akane and Nabiki Tendo had been shaved completely bald.  On their heads,
scribbled in black permanent marker.  Akane had 'tomboy' and 'pervert',
as well as 'Ryoga is P-chan'.  It was hard to tell what had made her
angrier.  Her next reunion with Ryoga had been... colorful... at the
least.  Nabiki had had 'pornographer' and 'pathetic' scribbled there.

***
"What about the amazons?" she asked.  "Aren't you worried about what
they will do?"

"Cologne and I have an understanding.  Namely, she leaves an eighteen
year old boy strong enough to kill a god alone."
***

When she had gone to check, the Cat Café had been closed.  Business had
increased, but she couldn't work herself up to being happy about that.

***
"Nabiki won't let you escape," she had finally declared desperately.

"Nabiki is currently involved in a law suit involving her distribution
of pornographic pictures of a minor.  She won't be doing anything for a
while."
***

Nabiki had lost the case.  She had been sent to a juvenile detention
facility for troubled children.  Any attempt at ringing together a
gambling circle had been shattered when she had been beaten for
attempting to blackmail someone.

Ukyou sighed as she sat in her seat.  It just wouldn't be the same
without him.