The Wheel of Fire, #38: Dreams Never End 

  Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NYChotmail.com) 
  http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/ranma/ranff.html 
  Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and characters belong to Rumiko 
Takahashi. And all that other good stuff. Proper 
licenses belong to respective properties and 
characters. The manga has precedence over material in 
the anime. 
  This file can be freely distributed so long as it 
appears in its complete form and proper credit given. 
No part may be reproduced for monetary gain without 
permission from the author. 

  Fanart can be found at: 
    http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/fanart/index.html 

--------------------------------------------- 

"The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent 
  it."-- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than 
  sincere ignorance and conscientous stupidity." 
  -- Martin Luther King, Jr. 

"Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours 
  to win or lose."-- Lyndon B. Johnson 


  The moment Ranma stepped through the rift Akane 
rushed up to him with arms open, and the two embraced 
warmly. 
  "You're okay!" she cried. 
  "You won't believe what I saw," Ranma said. 
  "I don't believe what I'm seeing, either," Ryoga 
said as he stepped through the rift himself. 
  Shizuka was the next to emerge, still supporting 
Hokuto. "What'd you expect? A hero's welcome?" She 
snorted. "Remember, they've gone to the edge...." 
  "Not you too!" Ranma complained, turning around and 
breaking his embrace. "What makes you think we...?" 
  "That's what I want to know!" Akane added as the 
others passed through the rift. 
  "Then it's untrue that you guys went to bed 
together?" asked Shampoo. 
  "And that you..." Kodachi puckered her lips, making a 
smooching sound. 
  "And," Tatewaki added, waving his fingers around in 
circles. 
  Quietly, emerging last from the rift, Cinder turned 
and sealed it, restoring the dimensional fabric. Beside 
him, Kanna Rajura snorted. "Dang, they're quick kids, 
aren't they?" 
  Out of the air Happosai dropped in, a bag of stolen 
goodies over his shoulder. "Ranma, my boy! You've come 
back already?" He joined Kodachi in making noises. 
  "What the hell...?!" muttered Ranma, blood boiling. 
  "What makes all of you think we did... that?!" Akane 
demanded, her eyes scanning the gathered allies. 
  "Just come out and say it," suggested Miranda. "We've 
heard it all by now." 
  "I don't know what you people are getting all worked 
up over," Chika said in the midst of the crowd. 
  "Don't you know anything?" Ayame asked. "They're 
talkin' about sex." 
  "Wait, but...." 
  "I heard you two did it," Mousse said, patting Ranma 
on the shoulder in congratulations. "Good job! Never 
thought you had it in you!" 
  "Why are you guys getting all worked up over ONE 
kiss?!" Akane and Ranma shouted at once. 
  Silence fell over the gathered people. 
  "Does this mean...?" uttered Kodachi. 
  "No." Akane said flatly. 
  "But your sister said...." The gymnast stopped. 
  Outside the gathered mass around Ranma and Akane, 
Nabiki Tendo, deciding it was a good time to make her 
exit, slipped away quietly. 
  "I don't believe it," she muttered under her breath. 
"Tomo was being straight with me after all." 

  The morning sun rose in the eastern sky, marking the 
start of a new day. Although the bulk of the guests 
invited for a victory party at the Tendo Dojo would 
have liked to have gotten a piece of Nabiki Soun gave 
them more than enough incentive not to touch his second 
daughter. 
  "Okay, Mousse," Kanna said, as he took her out of the 
dojo, away from the rest of the guests. "What do you 
want?" 
  "I've been watching you," the weapons master admitted 
carefully. "Although I haven't seen everything you've 
done...." 
  "Oh, Mousse, there you are!" 
  Jumping in surprise Mousse turned around, raising an 
angry fist. "Can't you see I'm busy, kid?" 
  Konatsu bowed quickly. "Forgive my actions! But I 
need your advice." 
  "Really." 
  "How can I amend my previous error?" 
  Mousse scratched his chin in consideration. "Well, 
you love her, right?" 
  The kunoichi nodded. 
  "She at least likes you, right?" 
  Again, Konatsu nodded. 
  "Well, I'm no expert on this, but...." Mousse's voice 
trailed off, considering the right words. "Take it one 
step at a time. Okay?" 
  Confusion settled in Konatsu's eyes. "I... I'm not 
sure I understand." 
  "Just talk to her," he insisted. 
  Somewhat reluctantly, Konatsu nodded. Bowing again, 
he took off around the corner, disappearing from sight. 
  "Now, where were we?" Mousse asked. 
  "You were going over my resume," Kanna answered, "and 
giving love advice on the side." 
  "Right." He nodded, remembering why he asked the 
Crystal Spider out here. "Like I've said, I've seen 
bits and pieces of how you worked... and...." He 
swallowed. "There's a war going on in my homeland, that 
doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon. No 
one will yield, talk, or sue for peace, because each 
faction is too proud to give in a fight." 
  "I see." Kanna's lips formed a slight grin. "You're 
recruiting me to win a war for you?" 
  Raising his hands, Mousse quickly replied, "N-no! You 
don't...." 
  "Sounds like fun," she interrupted. 
  Doing a double take, the weapons master uttered, 
"Huh?" 
  "You don't have a tactician like me," Kanna said, 
"so you're asking a professional. No problem; I'll just 
have to get my affairs in order and I'll see what I can 
do for you." 
  "R-really!?" He could not believe his ears. 
  "Really." 

  "I'm back," Konatsu announced, appearing from around 
the corner for Ukyo, who was staring at the rising sun. 
  "So," Ukyo said, "what did he say?" 
  The kunoichi jumped in surprise. "H... how?!" 
  "I'm not stupid," she answered. "You've been taking 
advice from Mousse." 
  "But what he says makes sense," insisted Konatsu. "He 
said we should just... talk." 
  The chef girl shook her head, leaning against the 
dojo wall and sinking to the floor. "Konatsu... I want 
to say that it's sudden... I want to say that I don't 
share the same feelings as you... but I can't." 
  Wisely, Konatsu held his tongue. 
  "Honestly," she continued, "I don't know what to 
think. I mean... I've known your feelings, but I 
haven't thought about them. I've been pushing thoughts 
of being with you out of my mind for the longest time." 
She buried her head in her arms, trying her best to 
hide her tears from the kunoichi. "I kept telling 
myself, 'I'm too dangerous to be around.' And because 
of that I've been trying to get you to move on with 
your life, because you deserve someone better." 
  "Ukyo...." whispered Konatsu, seating himself next to 
her. 
  "I'm messed up." She raised her head, staring at her 
empty palms. "I lost Ranma, and I couldn't take it. I 
get run through, and I couldn't take it. I get my head 
turned inside out and a hidden power is awakened... I 
couldn't take it. I met myself from..." she waved her 
hands for an arbitrary number, "fifty years in the 
future, and she hated me enough to give me a split 
personality... and I couldn't take it. Everything that 
happened I managed to screw up, but you've been very 
strong throughout all of it." Ukyo shook her head. "I'm 
not as strong as you think I am." 
  "You're stronger than anyone I know," countered the 
kunoichi confidently. "It is I who is weak. It is hard 
to make decisions on my own, without a parent like you 
to guide me, and I must look toward one as strong as 
you to move on." 
  "Don't lie," she warned. 
  "It's the truth." Konatsu held her hand gently. "It 
is those same events you describe yourself weak that I 
find you so strong, because you have the will to move 
on, whereas I could not hope to have gotten as far as 
you have. When the Orochi assassin ran you through, you 
had the courage to get up and challenge him again. When 
Ranma turned away from you it was a harsh ordeal, but 
you kept your restaurant open... kept your customers 
happy throughout that period despite your pain. When 
your hidden ability was brought to your attention you 
didn't run from it, but you sought to master it, so 
that it can never again be used against yourself or 
others." He shook his head. "I won't begin to 
understand how long you've had a split personality, 
but, whichever was in control at any given time, you 
remained true to yourself. That is why you're strong; 
you taught me to make my own decisions, leading by 
example. Never again will circumstance dictate the way 
I live my life!" 
  He offered a smile, staring into Ukyo's eyes with 
great certainty. He raised a hand to wipe away a tear 
rolling down her cheek, but she stopped him, holding 
his hand fast. 
  "We're both screwed up," she decided, laughing softly 
despite herself. 

  "I'm curious," Mizuki said, walking through the back 
yard alone with Cinder. "You've been to the Kami Plane 
and back... and all the places in-between." 
  "Yes, yes," the salamander said, nodding. 
  "Now that we've narrowly-averted disaster, I was 
wondering where we all stand now." 
  "Ah, the political climate, you mean." Flicking his 
wrist a small candle-like flame appeared, dancing 
between his index and middle fingers. "Although the 
plans of the Mekani to merge the planes has failed, 
they still control a sizable army. They intended to 
create a massive energy surge with the merge, 
detectable in the undercurrents of the universe, in 
order to attract more of their kind to this planet. Had 
they been successful we would be too weak to retaliate 
against a full-scale invasion of the Hive Entire." 
  "Their plans have been thwarted, so their advance has 
halted. While it is no massive withdrawal the Mekani 
hold a sizable area of the Kami Plane under their 
control, forming their own nation, so to speak. They 
remain a threat despite their setbacks." 
  "So they still have their void rippers?" asked the 
priestess. 
  Cinder nodded. "We suspect they have numerous factory 
satellites in the void, which produces more soldiers. 
As long as they remain in their new holdings, however, 
their numbers will grow larger as they gather more 
resources. I imagine the kami will not tolerate it and 
attempt to push them back to the void." 
  "In the meantime, although their primary marauder 
units have been disposed of, plus one Enforcer, they 
can surely make more. The war will continue for quite 
some time, until the Mekani either solidify their seat 
of power or they get up and move again." 
  "Soon, I will be returning home," he added. "I have 
set the wheels in motion that will open communication 
between those who live on the surface and the Infernals 
that dwell in the underworld. It is a delicate time, 
because we both need to set aside our differences if 
we wish to deal with the Mekani." 
  "I imagine that will take a while," Mizuki replied. 
  "Indeed it will. We have thousands of years working 
against us in this battle. It will have to be won with 
words. While I serve as the ambassador for the 
Infernals, Lady Sypha will serve as the go-between for 
the Surfacers." 
  "What do you suppose the Celestial Emperor's reaction 
will be when he learns that one of his own is working 
with the 'demons of Hell?'" 
  Cinder shrugged. "She may be banished, discredited, 
or even removed from the Court. Or, she may get a 
chance to prove our worth. It can go either way, but 
she is up to the task. From her power base on Earth she 
could overthrow the Celestial Emperor easily, and he 
knows it. Thanks to her prolonged exposure to the true 
weave of this side her power greatly surpasses the 
Celestial Emperor. No, if he is wise as they say he is, 
he will allow Lady Sypha to try." 
  "I foresee that our current arrangement will continue 
as normal," the salamander said finally, to Mizuki's 
delight. "Lord Kolvar, when he recognizes how strong 
his most loyal retainer has become, will be eager to 
lend warriors to this world." 
  "So our Guardian of Suzaku's seal will be on the Kami 
Plane," Mizuki concluded. "It isn't something that is 
common, but is acceptable." She held out a hand. "Good 
luck in your endeavors." 
  Whipping the candle flame out, Cinder reached out and 
shook the priestess's hand with his cold steel claw. 
"Watch the Mekani on your end of the Gate. They will be 
ever watchful of any sign of weakness when they are 
ready to deploy again." 

  "I find it amusing that we meet again under entirely 
different circumstances," Sypha told Shampoo as they 
stood against the wall closest to the dojo's main 
exit. 
  Shampoo nodded, even though she did not share the 
transformed dragon's humor. The last time she and Sypha 
met was under entirely different circumstances, for 
sure, but Shampoo was on the receiving end of a really 
nasty attack. 
  "What do you want?" she asked. "If it is an apology 
then you aren't getting it." 
  "Don't be absurd," the sorcerer replied. "I know 
you and your band of rowdy warriors are planning on 
returning home to the chaos I created. You know just as 
well as I there's only one way to solve it." 
  Shampoo nodded. "We will be the ones to win. Even 
now Mousse is securing the aid of a valuable ally." 
  "Yes, yes. Perhaps with her help you could win the 
war." Her eyes narrowed. "But that's hardly what you 
want, is it? How dare Mousse suggest enlisting the aid 
of an outsider to win?" 
  "From the day I could start fighting my great- 
grandmother said one day that I could attain the 
leadership of the tribe," the Amazon admitted. "I've 
lived with that idea in mind for all my life, and I was 
the best warrior to be, until Ranma showed up. He made 
a fool of me, so I chased him out to Japan. All that 
brought Mousse into leadership in my stead." 
  "A strange reversal of fortune." 
  "At first I was jealous of him," Shampoo continued. 
"He had the young warriors following him and his 
example, and I was no longer recognized as the greatest 
of warriors any longer. But then you took the war into 
your claws, and you gave me the opportunity I needed to 
redeem myself to them." 
  "But don't be convinced that it was good experience," 
she added quickly. "Mousse disappeared soon, and 
Great-grandmother returned from your captivity, but I 
was still leader by default. Yet, it was only as leader 
for temporary times, because they were waiting for 
Mousse to come back. And now he's going to go back with 
the key to victory. Why don't you think I'm angry?" 
  "Nothing ever goes the way you planned," Sypha 
replied. "Your petty jealousy is barring your 
way to recognition, that's for certain. So long as you 
try to compete in Mousse's shadow, there you shall 
remain. If you ever wish to change it, then you cannot 
stay on your present course." 
  Shampoo seemed to consider this. "Then if I'm not to 
compete with Mousse for leadership, what am I supposed 
to do?" 
  "Stop trying to undermine him, and help him. You two 
share the same goals and purposes; it will help you in 
the long run if you help him. You don't have to make a 
decision now; think about it on your way home. He is no 
longer a silly boy." 
  "Though it wasn't your advice I wished to hear," 
Shampoo replied, "there is truth in your words." 

  Ranma poked his way through the crowded dojo, eyes 
scanning faces. While he recognized most of them the 
one he was looking for was nowhere to be seen. 
  Every once in a while he paused for a moment to pick 
up on a conversation between people he knew, ranging 
from a formal apology from Senryu Nishimura to Kasumi 
to Miranda Kusao still arguing with Kodachi and Ayame 
over who was better between the two rivals. He gave a 
nod in Ryoga and Akari's direction, and a thumb's up 
signal toward Shion, a guy Ranma still had no real 
opinion of, but after hearing what lengths he went to 
in order to get his sister back from Hokuto, 
exaggerated or not, he gave him a little respect. 
  A clamping hand on his shoulder followed by the loud 
and bellowing voice of the German-descended martial 
artist, Johan Ritters, broke Ranma's train of thought. 
  "Well!" he shouted over the noise in the dojo. "I 
was looking for you!" 
  "Great," Ranma answered, silently adding, "but I 
wasn't looking for you." 
  Apparently the dance man didn't seem to notice. "I've 
finally remembered why I wanted to bust your chops a 
while back. I'm going to take you out dancing." 
  Ranma blinked. "Uh... why?" 
  Johan leaned over conspiratorially. "You see, if I 
can't beat you straight out fighting, I'm going to beat 
you straight out dancing. I played your game last time, 
so now's your turn to play mine." 
  "Why should I?" 
  "That's the way it works!" Johan replied, acting as 
if Ranma should know about whatever code he was 
referring to. "Out on the street, it isn't the guy with 
the biggest stick, it's the guy who knows how to use 
the stick!" 
  And what did this have to do with a duel? he 
wondered. 
  "Maybe some other time," Ranma said, ignoring any 
other words the Hawaiian street fighter had to say. 
  He spotted the person he was looking for almost 
immediately thereafter. 
  "Shizuka!" Ranma shouted over the crowd. 
  The priestess of Genbu, obviously doing nothing too 
important, glanced in his direction with one of 
Kasumi's sandwiches between her teeth. Ranma pointed 
toward the exit, and she nodded, understanding the 
message. 
  Quickly the martial artist made his way outside, 
pushing his way past Johan, who seemed to be ranting in 
a world of his own as he recited his ideas. He kept the 
door slid open until Shizuka could slip out herself, 
the sandwich held close to her breast as if she was 
afraid to drop it. Sliding the dojo entrance shut 
behind her she took another bite out of her sandwich. 
  "Well," she said, mouth full, "wraht do rou wrant?" 
  Ranma scratched the back of his head nervously. "Uh, 
well... you see, I wanted to thank you personally for 
saving me back there." 
  Shizuka swallowed her bite, eyeing Ranma curiously. 
"I don't know what you mean." 
  "Believe it or not," he replied, pulling the 
returning dagger from his belt, "this thing did it. I 
was wondering how I could pay you back for it." 
  "Mmmm!" she huffed, taking a huge bite, consuming the 
rest of her sandwich. "Mmmmurr don haaav to do rit." 
  "No, I'm not kidding," Ranma insisted. "It's just... 
it's just that I'm trying to look after Akane, and... 
well... you're helping me. I think I owe you." 
  "You don't owe me a thing," Shizuka replied, 
swallowing her sandwich whole and thumping her throat. 
"Mine's a thankless job." 
  "But I...." 
  "Don't make me change my mind," she interrupted 
sternly. 
  Ranma sighed. For the first time he realized that 
Shizuka was the type of person that didn't appreciate 
too much recognition, much less get credit for her 
work. People like that hardly did it because of a lack 
of pride; far from it, as the martial artist was quite 
certain the priestess was awfully proud. She was either 
unused to being praised, or did not like the attention 
associated with it. 
  No wonder she's playing the unsung hero, he thought 
dryly. 
  "Well," he said, replacing the dagger, "then I guess 
that settles it. By the way, it's good to see you back 
to your old self again, didja know that?" 
  "Huh," the priestess snorted, folding her arms. "It 
just goes to show you don't realize you like stuff till 
you miss it." 
  "Something like that, I guess," he agreed. 
  "Saotome, a word with you," called a regal voice. 
  Ranma turned his head away from the dojo, toward 
where Sypha, the transformed celestial dragon, stood. 
Glancing toward Shizuka, he said, "Gotta go," and 
hustled down to where the Chinese sorcerer stood. 
  "Fraternizing with a child?" Sypha asked light- 
heartedly. 
  "Whatever." He shrugged. "What do you want?" 
  "Come, I've something to show you." 
  Raising an eyebrow, Sypha lead Ranma toward the 
house, which was all but empty save for a few 
stragglers here and there. Nabiki was likely hiding in 
her room, and his mother was probably in the kitchen 
preparing more snacks for the guests. The sorcerer 
lead him up to his room, where Akane was waiting 
patiently, sitting on top of her bed. 
  Closing the door behind them Sypha produced her 
dragon pearl and set it down on the desk. "I was 
thinking of a way to reward your services." 
  "Uh, is that a safe thing?" wondered Ranma. 
  "What he means is," Akane added quickly, "he doesn't 
know what you can offer us." 
  "Well, I could promise you untold riches, but I don't 
have any," the sorcerer said jokingly. "But I can grant 
you a glimpse of your future." 
  "The future?" Akane echoed. 
  "I thought Hokuto said you can't go to the future," 
Ranma pointed out. 
  "She can't, no," Sypha corrected. "The secrets of the 
ancient oracles, however, is a common source of power 
to my people. They have the ability to see into the 
future. In ancient times it was an oracle that was 
sought if one wished to know the outcome of a certain 
event-- that is the limitation. Many posed as oracles 
over time, and their visions prove false; it is only 
those gifted by the gods that can do this. The Oracle 
at Delphi, I believe, is your peoples' most celebrated 
oracle." 
  "Why are you doing this?" asked Ranma. 
  "Your actions, and your people, have helped redeem my 
own," answered Sypha. "We now stand a better chance of 
beating back the Mekani on our own now that their 
advance is halted. I am simply offering you a gift my 
people offer only to those worthy, and in these times 
those individuals are rare." 
  "You two form a nexus," she continued. "Around you 
many pivotal events take place, and I believe a glimpse 
into your futures will prove most interesting. But it 
is up to you to decide what you want to see; I can only 
pass on information, not fabricate it." 
  "Wow," whispered Akane. "That's some privilege." 
  "Wait, one thing that's bothering me," voiced Ranma. 
"Back at Jusenkyo, Shizuka said she and you met twelve 
years ago. Why?" 
  Sypha chuckled softly, a smile forming on her ruby 
lips. "It is because, when she was four, her parents 
took her to see me for a reading. They wished to see 
the future of their first-born daughter, and I revealed 
to them that it was not in their best interest for them 
to keep her. Of course she remembers me; I was partly 
responsible for her becoming a shrine maiden." 
  Feeling he would not get much more out of the ancient 
sorcerer, Ranma sighed. "Okay, then... I guess we're 
going to dodge around those kind of readings." 
  "Actually, I'm curious about one thing," Akane said. 
"What I want to know is where we'll all be in a few 
years... say, I don't know... five years or so?" 
  "Is that what you wish of the oracle?" asked Sypha, 
directing her attention toward Ranma. 
  The martial artist turned toward Akane, looking deep 
into her eyes, and realized he wanted to know the same 
thing. "Yes." 


			*  *  *  *  * 

  "All nine months and a bag of chips," Ranma said to 
himself, standing at the grocery store shelf and 
shaking his head. "I'll be glad when it's all over." 
  Beside him, Shizuka was throwing a bag of chips into 
a shopping basket, shrugging seemingly uncaringly. "I 
don't have much to complain about; it's just starting 
for you. For me, it's another pay check or I split." 
  "I don't pay you enough," the martial artist said 
with a heavy sigh, not understanding how she could 
maintain her stamina throughout the ordeal. 
  He thought over the past eight months, and he 
realized he would have been a nervous wreak by now if 
he hadn't enlisted help. These days in Tokyo Ranma knew 
very few people he trusted enough to help him with such 
a delicate task as to cater to Akane's needs, so he had 
to find the right people. He always had Ryoga's help, 
but his aid was few and far between, as it was always 
dictated by his travel. Tatewaki and Kodachi were 
always too eager to help, which is why Ranma never 
asked them. Tofu helped sometimes, unless his schedule 
was full. Other than them, there were no other local 
trusted friends and acquaintances, so Ranma had to turn 
to help from outside town. 
  Shizuka was invaluable help, but, since she preferred 
to remain back west Ranma had to pay her to come. To 
his disgust she brought along her ever-growing boa 
constrictor, Thanatos, but thankfully she left it at 
her cousin's all the time, the place where she stayed 
while in Tokyo. Since she had the most free time on her 
hands it was her duty to supplement Ranma in waiting 
hand-and-foot to Akane's needs and cravings, a job she 
took quite seriously. 
  She was getting paid quite well, which was enough of 
an incentive to do a good job in the first place. 
  "I don't think you earn your pay," Ranma complained, 
tossing more food off Akane's shopping list into the 
basket. He could not imagine another month of doing 
this kind of work, but somehow Ranma knew he would make 
it... somehow. 
  "Oh yeah?" the priestess replied, raising an eyebrow. 
"I don't recall seeing you around when I was getting my 
face smashed in last week. You're always too quick to 
run off on 'training trips,' just to get away from it 
all. She's not stupid; she knows you're doing it to 
avoid her." 
  "What can I do about it?" asked Ranma, tossing a bag 
of carrots to the priestess. "I need to take breaks 
too, you know. Besides, that's what you're getting 
paid to do." 
  "Always you and money," grumbled Shizuka. "So when 
can I look for a raise?" 
  "A raise?!" he shouted, drawing attention from the 
surrounding shoppers. He grinned nervously for their 
benefit, then lowered his voice. "Are you out of your 
mind? I'm barely making enough to pay what you're 
making now and all of this shopping." 
  "Then get a real job!" 
  "I can't get a 'real job!'" 
  "Oh no, because you're too proud to be anything else 
other than a martial artist." 
  "Not that you're doing as well as a priestess," he 
countered coldly. "I don't ever see you doing your gods 
a service." 
  "That's because I don't believe or worship them," 
she answered smartly. 
  Ranma blinked. "You're... you're an atheist? B-but, 
you're a priestess...." 
  Shizuka shrugged. "I said I don't worship them, and 
don't believe in them, not 'I don't believe they 
exist.' So yeah, that technically makes me an atheist. 
I think it's just as good as ants worshipping us." 
  "Ants don't worship us," Ranma pointed out. 
  "Maybe... or are we too aloof to notice?" Shizuka 
tore her attention away for a moment, grabbing a loaf 
of bread. "See, that's the way I figure it is between 
gods and us; they're too aloof to care either way, but 
it matters that they are remembered and respected." She 
hatcheted her index finger, punctuating both 'r' words. 
  Ranma shook his head. "You're weird." 
  She smiled slyly. "I get that all the time." 

  Nabiki paused while reading the text displayed on the 
monitor before her. 
  Leaning back against her office chair she folded her 
arms behind her head, and stared up at the ceiling. 
Rolling her eyes to see if the door of her room really 
was closed, she said, "Well, how should I go about 
this one?" 
  "What does it say?" said a voice through Nabiki's 
computer's speakers, a deep, male voice. 
  She snorted to herself. Something in Nabiki told her 
she was in for real trouble when she snooped a little 
too close to Shion's dealings, especially after he 
seemed to be a rather active help during the Mekani 
invasion. It took a while, but she stumbled into his 
secret life, learning that it was he that was Warlock, 
the well-known underworld mercenary that would work for 
anyone at the right price. 
  No, she corrected herself; Shion admitted it readily 
when she found out, and even welcomed her. 
  "Actually, I'm glad you approached me," the Kagami 
Warlock said, "It saves me the trouble of coercing you 
in. That's right, I was going to approach you. Just by 
you doing it yourself shows you have great potential at 
this kind of work. No... you'll be perfect." 
  He said all that and gave her an ultimatum: join or 
'disappear.' Nabiki knew Warlock purely on reputation 
alone, even if she had previous dealings with him, but 
she knew enough to understand that he had the ability 
to carry out such a threat. Reluctantly, she joined, 
becoming another entrapped in his web of intrigue. 
  It was also then she figured out his sister, Chika, 
was actually Tomo, to Nabiki's surprise; she thought 
Tomo was a guy. She was disappointed that the other 
famed mercenary was a weak-willed wimpy girl, and Chika 
reacted likewise toward Nabiki. 
  That was as far as Shion allowed her in, however, as 
Nabiki knew there was more to it than that. His offer, 
it turned out, was grooming of a replacement Warlock, 
as he wished to retire from his mercenary status 
quietly while maintaining the illusion. Now that Nabiki 
was to become the second of the Warlocks she constantly 
being taught, and likewise very busy, spending most 
of her time at home in her room. 
  She had little concern that Shion was using his real 
voice across the network, understanding that he knew 
what he was doing. 
  She hoped he knew what he was doing. Certainly, the 
pay was good, and it was easy money once you got the 
connection network up and running, but what Nabiki was 
doing was also very illegal. Unlike Shion she was by no 
means a computer genius, and therefore she didn't know 
all of the tricks. In a sense, she was just like Tomo. 
  "This guy," she said, knowing her microphone would 
pick it up, "wants to smuggle a certain cargo out of 
the country. He's willing to pay around thirty thousand 
yen to get it to Hawaii." 
  "What is the cargo?" asked Shion. 
  Nabiki shrugged. "I don't know... it's probably 
another game console that you're not supposed to 
export." 
  She heard a muffled snort. "Bah. The more hardware 
they put into those suckers the more life-threatening 
they become. Don't ask what it is; you're probably 
right, considering how many more we got in the past 
couple of weeks." 
  "Handle the same way?" she asked. 
  "No. I want you to try something different...." 
  "NABIKI!!!" she heard through the wall. 
  "Great," Nabiki said. "My sister's calling again. 
I'll be back in a couple minutes." 
  "What happened to Shizuka?" asked Shion, sounding a 
little too interested to know for Nabiki's ears. "I 
thought she was supposed to wait on her." 
  "She's out shopping with Ranma because he wanted to 
see how things were working out with her," she answered 
in a bored tone. "I mean, almost all of his earnings 
are going into her. He's a moron like that, but I guess 
it's working." She leaned closer to the microphone. 
"Besides... worried about your girlfriend?" 
  "She's not my...." 
  "NABIKI!!!" 
  "Sorry, gotta go. You got off easy." 
  "You'd like to think so." 

  "Well, we're back!" Ranma shouted an announcement as 
he opened the front door, followed by Shizuka, who was 
carrying all the grocery bags in her arms. He turned to 
glance at her progress. "Don't drop 'em!" he warned. 
  "Wha? Did you say something?" she asked. 
  "Oh, Ranma?" Kasumi said from down the hall, poking 
her head. "We have guests!" 
  "Guests?" echoed Ranma, scratching his head. "Who'd 
want to see us?" 
  "Rent collectors," muttered Shizuka. 
  "Did you say something?" 
  "Nothing." 
  Moving on ahead Ranma followed Kasumi to the dining 
room, leaving Shizuka to her own pace in getting to the 
kitchen. His mind raced to think of anyone that would 
want to drop by at this time of the afternoon, but the 
answer would not have been anywhere close when he 
stepped into view. Seated with their backs to Ranma, 
the guests turned to greet him. 
  "It's been a while, Saotome," Mousse greeted. 
  Passing his gaze from left to right, Ranma recognized 
Shampoo, old Cologne, Mousse, and Kanna. "Hey! What're 
you guys doing here?" 
  "Why don't you tell them?" suggested Soun, seated 
at the head of the table. 
  Kanna nodded. "I assure you, it's entirely social." 
She wrapped her arm around Mousse's arm. "We're getting 
married." 
  Unable to take in the news, the martial artist passed 
his eyes to the groom in question. The weapons master 
nodded, and so did Cologne and Shampoo. 
  "When Mousse brought back this young lady to us," 
the old woman explained, "we were skeptical she could 
be of any use to us. Outsiders are shunned everywhere 
in our closed valley, and Kanna was no exception. But 
in no long time did she prove herself, time and again, 
one after another. Utilizing resources as limited to 
our village she turned around what looked to be a war 
of self-destruction into something new." 
  "Single-handedly," Shampoo jumped in, just as 
Shizuka was passing through the hall, "she united the 
villages under one banner." 
  "I think that's going a little too far," Kanna said, 
her cheeks rosing. 
  "Don't be ridiculous!" Mousse said. "You should be 
proud of what we've done." 
  "And that's the key word, 'we,'" she pointed out. "I 
did nothing. I'm just an advisor to a general, and that 
happened to be Mousse." 
  "And somehow that makes you guys in love?" Ranma 
asked skeptically. 
  Mousse shook his head. "If there's anything I've 
learned from watching you, it's to never let go of the 
one you love." 
  "Ah, still the love philosopher?" they heard Shizuka 
shout from down the hall. 
  "Oh, hi, Shizuka," called Kanna, over the background 
noise between Genma and Nodoka about how romantic the 
story was. "Didn't see you." 
  "So why're you coming all the way here just to get 
married?" asked Akane, lounging on a pillow across from 
Mousse. 
  "Kanna wants her parents to be there," Mousse 
answered quickly. "They won't come to China, not in the 
middle of nowhere. And since I don't have parents to 
mind, and since most of the people we want to come are 
here in Japan...." 
  "That's great!" Ranma exclaimed, almost spontaneously 
for the others. He grabbed Mousse's hand and shook it 
violently. "Always knew you had it in you!" 
  "Uh... thanks?" replied Mousse, confusion overcoming 
him. 
  At that moment Shizuka chose to burst into the room 
from the kitchen, her arms dangling lazily before her 
as she stood hunched. "Curse you," she hissed toward 
Ranma. "You're right, you DON'T pay me enough." 
  "Eh, physical activity's good for you." 
  "Thanks, Shizuka," Akane interjected, before the 
exchange could go any further. 
  Shizuka was about to say something, but Nabiki's 
stare caught her eye. The two exchanged glances, each 
nodding slowly, then the priestess of Genbu turned on 
her heels a circle and marched back into the kitchen. 
  "So," asked Soun, "when are you planning to get wed?" 
  "Hopefully within the next month or so," Shampoo 
answered. "Although we are not the seat of government 
at home we will be missed." 
  "Then would you allow us the opportunity to help you 
plan the wedding?" offered Nodoka. 
  "If it wouldn't be too much trouble," Cologne 
replied. 
  "You don't have to worry about the money," Kanna said 
quickly. "I've got that covered." 
  "Huh, just ask Kuno for money," Ranma suggested. 
  "Like I said, I've got it COVERED." 
  "Not that you should be one to talk, Ranma," Nabiki 
jabbed. 
  "And that brings us to the next thing," Mousse said, 
standing to his feet. "We're doing it a Western style, 
as Kanna wants. I'm no expert on these kind of things, 
but...." He stared at Ranma seriously, although his 
eyes were hidden from view. "How'd you like to be my 
best man?" 
  "M-me?" Ranma said, shocked. "You're asking me?" 
  "Well, it's a formality issue," admitted the Master 
of Hidden Weapons. "Typically it's the male best friend 
of the groom... and you're the closest to it." 
  "Uh... thanks, I guess." 

  "They timed this," Ranma realized, leaning against 
the door as he watched Akane down a bag of chips while 
lounging on her bed. "They timed this for the reunion 
we planned." 
  Akane nodded, downing a mouthful of chips. "Which is 
in another month. They must've been planning this for 
months, even years... depending on how long it's been 
going on." 
  "They're crazy," Ranma decided, shaking his head. 
"Why do they want guys like Cinder and Sypha there? Are 
they out of their minds?" 
  "They're warriors, just like Mousse and Kanna," 
Akane tried to rationalize. "Of course they'll want 
their fellow warriors to see them off... I guess." She 
shrugged. "It might be an Amazon law thing." 
  "Knowing my mom," Ranma said, "she'll probably go 
overboard. 'Money is not an issue?' Is she out of her 
mind?" 

  One room over, in Nabiki's room, the middle Tendo 
sister sat at her desk chair, her back to the monitor, 
facing Shizuka, leaning back against the opposite 
wall. 
  "You're paying for it, aren't you?" Nabiki said out 
loud. 
  "Oh, was that too easy a guess?" Shion answered over 
the network, through Nabiki's computer speakers. 
  Shizuka nodded, even though the retired mercenary 
could not see her. "You just can't resist, can you? 
You can't resist throwing your best friend the best 
wedding she could imagine, only you don't know how to 
do that. That's why you enlisted Saotome." 
  "That was her idea," Shion corrected. "So I have deep 
pockets; I can afford to give her this good a gift." 
  Of course, we just can't say where we got that money 
from, Nabiki thought. 
  "Just as long as you know what you're doing," she 
said, breaking the needless discussion. "So long as 
nobody but us know where the money's coming from, we're 
safe." 
  "Nobody'll look," the mercenary assured them. "There 
isn't a thing to look for. It's all about Kanna, and 
she knows how to deal with it." 
  Nabiki nodded, her thoughts wondering how many others 
Shion brought into his private world. Shizuka, she 
knew, found out about Shion by digging around herself, 
but Kanna was in on the operation because she was one 
of the mercenary's connective sources. Shion himself 
almost never carried out jobs, but he delegated them 
out to others in different areas of expertise, a list 
which Nabiki was now privy to in order to keep up the 
guise of Warlock. 
  On the other hand, she knew that Akane was suspicious 
about Shion's occupation, but Nabiki was comfortable in 
the fact that she never heard of Warlock before, or had 
any dealings with the underworld. Ignorance was bliss 
sometimes. 
  "So we just lay our hands off this?" asked Nabiki. 
  "That's right. We'll discuss what other measures need 
to be taken to ensure a flawless wedding later; we'll 
tackle them as they come up. Discretely." 
  "If this is the wedding you're planning for your best 
friend," Shizuka noted dryly, "I'd hate to see what 
you'd do when your sister gets married." 
  "Or how about you two?" suggested Nabiki innocently. 
  "She's not my girlfriend!" 
  "He's not my boyfriend!" complained the priestess at 
the same time. 
  "Well, you guys've got that down pat." She shook her 
head. 

  Word spread throughout town like wildfire of the 
upcoming wedding, as if it were the main event since 
the turn of the century. For three straight weeks many 
prepared and planned for it, spending money liberally 
on what was decided to be the best of the best. Those 
who did not even know who Mousse or Kanna were got 
caught up in the excitement as well, once they caught 
wind that money was being thrown around by the 
organizers. 
  Mousse thought about the past week as he adjusted his 
bow tie in the mirror. He straightened the jacket of 
his tuxedo, adjusted the rim of his glasses, and struck 
a pose for his own benefit. 
  "Yep, you look good," Ranma said over his shoulder. 
  "Not just good, Saotome," Mousse corrected. "I'd say 
'snappy.'" 
  He turned to face his best man. "Well, Saotome... I 
must say I'm surprised that nothing major went wrong 
over the past three weeks." 
  "I'm surprised myself," admitted the martial artist. 
  They both turned to look at Tatewaki Kuno, sitting 
at the corner of the dressing room, frantically 
scribbling notes in a notebook. Every once in a while 
he would pause to think, then resume his work, uttering 
gasps of inspiration to himself. 
  "What's he writing about now?" asked Mousse. 
  Ranma shrugged. "Last I checked he was going to write 
out the details of the wedding to sell a new book." 
  "Ah, I must include that as well!" Tatewaki exclaimed 
loudly. 
  "Doesn't he know a tape recorder is easier for this 
kind of stuff?" wondered Mousse. 
  "Forget him," Ranma said. "What I want to know is 
where Ryoga is. Hope he didn't get lost again." 
  They heard a knock on the door. "Come in!" Mousse 
shouted. 
  A moment later Konatsu peeked his head inside. Unlike 
the others he was still wearing his ninja outfit, and 
while Nodoka objected to him over this Mousse 
intervened, citing that it is his privilege as a 
warrior. 
  On the other hand, they were unsure he could rent a 
tuxedo to begin with. 
  "They're about to start," the male kunoichi said 
softly. 
  Mousse nodded. Glancing at Ranma, then to Tatewaki, 
he said, "Well, guys, it's magic time." 
  "Already?" asked Ranma. 
  Konatsu shook his head. "We've got a city order to 
finish this up before five, so we won't mess with the 
traffic. So we have to start now." 
  "Fine, fine! Just so long as nothing goes wrong other 
than that!" 
  "But everybody hasn't come yet!" Mousse pointed out. 
To Konatsu he said, "See if you can find Senryu 
Nishimura. Tell him to persuade them to lay off, okay?" 
  Nodding in understanding, Konatsu gently shut the 
door behind him as he left. 

  In the room adjoining the altar Chika busied herself 
in silent delight as she finished setting up her 
equipment. 
  Standing back, folding her arms, she proclaimed, 
"It's done!" 
  Entering from the altar came Shion. "Camera's set up, 
too." 
  "That's good to hear," Ayame said, looking at the 
video equipment carefully. When Nodoka decided to hire 
a professional crew to tape the wedding Kanna almost 
immediately volunteered Chika, a job which she took 
with great enthusiasm. 
  Shutting the door behind him, Shion took a seat next 
to Chika's chair, and stared at the monitors. Each 
video camera set up was controlled by a hired hand, and 
from this makeshift control room Chika could splice 
together a decent show on the fly. Her ego, however, 
wouldn't allow anyone else to see it until it was 
done. 
  "Someone want to tell the bride?" he asked. 
  "Don't mind me," Ayame volunteered. "I'm not doing 
anything important." 
  "Well, geez, isn't it bad luck if I see it?" asked 
Shion. 
  "You're not the groom, are you?" countered Ayame. 

  Akane absorbed the commotion in the church with good 
form, as she sat back against her seat in the front 
row of the groom's side with the rest of her family. 
While such a place was difficult to catch the guests 
coming and going many had the decency to come to her, 
considering how difficult it was for her to go to 
them. 
  Many of the early arrivals offered their greetings 
before seating themselves. The old man Higure offered 
his congratulations to Akane, as did Mizuki when she 
arrived. Akane spotted many other familiar faces in the 
gathered crowd, watching as the number of people grew. 
  She spotted one face in particular. "Ukyo!!" 
  The okonomiyaki chef made eye contact with Akane, 
and waved. Ukyo stood out against the numerous faceless 
party-goers that just wanted to have a good time (and 
which Akane suspected were not actually invited), 
dressed in a formal, expensive-looking kimono for 
special occasions. 
  Ukyo took a seat behind Akane. "Well, how've you 
been? Time's been good to you... congratulations." 
  "Thanks," replied Akane, leaning over the back of her 
seat. "I didn't know if you could make it. Other than 
you I know for sure Kodachi can't come." 
  "Well, circumstances do it to you," Ukyo said with a 
shrug. "She's missing out on all the fun, but I guess 
an internship is nothing to sneeze at." 
  Akane shook her head. "It's too bad, though. I think 
she would've liked it." 
  "Anyway, we made it just fine," the chef said, 
changing the subject. "Konatsu's off checking in on the 
guys, I guess." 
  "So how is it between you two?" 
  "It's great!" she answered enthusiastically. "I took 
Konatsu to a movie last week, and it was a blast. I'd 
say you ought to see it, but it's not your type of 
film." 
  "Still dating, huh?" Akane said slyly. "So when're 
you going to put the question to him?" 
  "When he asks," Ukyo answered simply. "I'm not going 
to pressure him until he's ready himself." 
  "What if he's waiting for you?" 
  "Then that just proves how screwed-up we are!" she 
answered with a giggle. 
  "Better watch it, or Kodachi'll get married before 
you do!" warned Akane, laughing. 
  Ukyo sighed, her head darting about looking for 
someone. "Say... Akane...?" 
  "What?" 
  "You have any idea where Shizuka is?" 
  "Beats me. Probably in the back with Kanna. Why?" 
  "Oh, nothing big," she assured her friend. "I was 
just wondering how she is after being gone for so long. 
Before she took up Ranchan's offer she used to come by 
every once in a while to my restaurant." 
  "You know, that's why people keep coming back, I 
think," Akane said. "To your restaurant, I mean. You're 
just so friendly like that." 
  "You think so?" Ukyo replied sarcastically. "And all 
this time I thought it was my cooking!" 
  Both girls laughed, but it did not last long as a 
hushing silence fell upon the room. They tore their 
eyes from each other and toward the entrance, where two 
imposing figures stood, their backs illuminated by the 
light of the sun, casting long shadows. A flash of 
metal reflected off their claw weapons as they marched 
in. 
  "Cinder and Sypha," whispered Ukyo, surprised. 
  "Looks like they came, after all." 
  Sypha drew the stares of men and women alike, her 
exotic airs enticing them toward her. She dressed in an 
Imperial purple shade of Chinese court dress, decorated 
with dragons and phoenixes in various stages, as if 
acting out a story. Many ignored the claws poking out 
at the end of her long sleeves, an obvious weapon that 
some considered bad luck, but to Mousse and his warrior 
traditions, it was a respectful gesture-- one that 
Sypha was apparently quite aware of. 
  Cinder concealed himself with a heavy, dark hood, 
adding a stark contrast to his fellow kami. Most of his 
obsidian body and steel limbs were concealed under the 
folds of what appeared to be a black ceremonial robes 
of office, draping off a cuffed point on Cinder's left 
shoulder along with long tassels. His red mechanical 
eye focused in on Akane, and the two kami headed her 
direction. 
  The salamander bowed slowly. "I bid you greetings." 
  "Nice to see you again, Master Cinder, Lady Sypha," 
greeted Akane. "They'll be happy you two made it." 
  "It is quite a bother to be torn away from our 
affairs of state," Sypha said, "but it is a great honor 
to be here." 
  "You guys're lookin' good," Ukyo said, her eyes on 
Sypha's dress. "It's so... wow...." 
  "It also dates back to the Later Han Dynasty," Sypha 
warned. "Be careful not to wear it out." 
  "The state of our homeland cannot be better," Cinder 
declared. "For the past few years we have worked to 
bring together the nations of the world, and our labors 
are bearing fruit. The war with the Mekani has halted, 
as, while they still control a good deal of our world, 
negotiation has begun that may end the conflict for the 
rest of time." 
  "That's good to hear," Akane said. 
  "But trust does not come easy," added Sypha. "It will 
take many more years to erase the hate and suffering 
our peoples have endured; for old rivalries to die out. 
The Surfacers, the Celestials... all of them must come 
to terms with even conceptually allying themselves with 
the Timeless Ones or the Infernals." 
  "I'm sure it'll all work out for you guys in the 
end," Ukyo encouraged. "And I...." 
  Another cone of silence descended upon the room as 
something heavy thudded against the ground, throwing an 
echoing vibration throughout the church. Once again, 
eyes of guests clustered to the front door, where two 
more people emerged. 
  "Uh, hi?" Ryoga shouted, Akari at his side, his voice 
echoing his uncertainty. "Is this where Mousse and 
Kanna are getting married?" 

  Kanna stared at the mirror before her, seated at the 
vanity of the designated dressing room, sighing to 
herself. She leaned forward in her seat, glad she had 
a chance to be alone after the hectic schedule of the 
past few weeks to collect her thoughts. 
  "Wonderful dress," she said to herself, "white as 
snow. Pop's happy I'm marrying a martial artist, Mom's 
happy I'm marrying a gentleman. Shion's happy I'm 
marrying at all. Heck, everybody's happy," she pressed 
closer to the mirror, studying herself, "but why am I 
not happy?" 
  "Probably because you have a heavy weight over your 
head?" 
  Kanna jumped in surprise, as she noticed movement in 
the reflection of the vanity's mirror. Turning quickly 
she saw Shizuka, hanging upside-down from the ceiling 
with her arms folded. "What the heck are you doing 
here?!" 
  "For the reasons you named, of course," Shizuka 
answered. "Also, since you won't let anyone in I 
thought something had to be done." 
  "The door hadn't opened," Kanna realized. "I don't 
want to think how you crawled in." 
  "It's not important," the priestess agreed. "What is 
important is that you're not so down when you walk down 
the altar. You've obviously got something on your mind, 
so maybe talking it out might work." 
  "Hey, don't you lecture me on my job!" Kanna said, 
quickly acting on the defensive. 
  "Really, I...." 
  Shizuka's words were cut short as her suspension 
period ended, and she crashed to the floor at Kanna's 
feet, landing square on her head, a broken rope tied to 
her foot. The other end of the rope dangled, its end 
frayed from strain, through the ventilation duct in 
the ceiling. 
  "You need stronger stuff," the bride suggested. 
  "Shut up." 
  Kanna laughed to herself softly as the priestess 
gathered herself. "Your therapy strangely works in a 
way." 
  "At my expense," the priestess added bitterly. 
  "Alright, fair enough," the Crystal Spider decided. 
"How long have we known each other?" 
  "Five years, off for a good deal in between." 
  "You remember, five years ago? I had a duel with 
Ranma." 
  "No, I don't. I wasn't there, remember?" Shizuka 
shivered at the thought. 
  "Oh, yeah... sorry. I had him down, but he managed to 
disarm me. I resorted to using pressure points to 
subdue him, but I couldn't beat him that way." She 
shook her head. "For a good deal of my life my art was 
my weapon, and I couldn't think about going through a 
battle without it." She eyed said weapon, a double- 
bladed death scythe, the same one Shion made for her, 
leaning against the wall. "I beat Ranma, sure, but I 
did it without a weapon." 
  "So you had to throw away your principles to win," 
Shizuka concluded. "Conscious decision or purely on 
circumstance, you're burdened by it." 
  "Yes," Kanna confirmed. She got up to her feet, 
slowly making her way to her weapon. Picking it up she 
held it in her hands lengthwise. "I practiced for ten 
years to prove to him that the one with the weapon was 
the superior fighter. I failed. I've carried this with 
me for the past few years, and no matter how many times 
I go into battle with this weapon I can't help but 
think how unworthy I am of it." 
  "But you're stronger than I ever was," Shizuka 
pointed out. "When I shot Spencer five years ago," she 
shuddered at the thought, "I felt the same way about my 
shotgun. It was a special weapon to me, but after what 
I did... shooting a human being I should be protecting 
from the demons... I couldn't touch it at all. I turned 
to my other available assets, and that drove me to make 
a pact with Deathclaw. I don't regret doing so, but it 
has its prices. Had I not strayed from myself it never 
would've happened." 
  "And yet I was still too weak to lay hands on it. 
You're different; you had the courage and will to carry 
on and amend your mistake; I tried to run from it." 
  "Still," Kanna said, "it's the principle." 
  "Screw the principle!" Shizuka yelled, her emotions 
boiling over. "Here's the other part of my story: I had 
to shoot another person to gather my scruples again. It 
wasn't as bad as the first time, and the circumstance 
wasn't nearly the same as the last time, but it didn't 
hurt as much. That's probably not a good thing; just 
another thing to kill my soul...." 
  "Wait," interrupted the bride. "You're trying to tell 
me that it's okay to fight without weapons? That it's 
perfectly acceptable? That I'm no less a warrior for 
doing so?" 
  Before Shizuka could reply from her bluster, Kanna 
threw down the weapon and threw her arms around the 
priestess joyfully. "Why didn't I think of that?!" she 
exclaimed happily. 
  "Save it for your husband, okay?" Shizuka said 
uncomfortably, trying to figure out what she said that 
made Kanna so happy. "I'm not a touchy-feeling kind of 
person, you know?" 
  "Oh, sorry," apologized Kanna awkwardly, releasing 
the priestess of Genbu. 
  Before she could say more Shizuka raised her hand in 
the stop signal, her eyes darting toward the ceiling. 
"Quiet! Do you hear something?" 
  "Uh... no...." 
  Slowly, the priestess slid out one of the swords at 
her left from its sheath, and fixated her gaze on the 
open ventilation shaft above. The snake-headed end, its 
maw open and fangs barred, seemed ready to thrust 
upward. "Cranky," she muttered, "he's here!" 
  "Who?" wondered Kanna, kicking up her death scythe to 
her hands with her foot. 
  "Oh, forget that!" Shizuka ordered, watching Kanna 
from the corner of her eye. "You've got a wedding to go 
to, you know?" Slowly she slid out her second sword. 
"I've still a job to do!" 
  "You're leaving?!" Kanna exclaimed, surprised. "After 
all that flowery stuff? The ceremony's going to start 
in only a little while...." 
  "You don't know me all that well," the priestess 
replied, leaping straight up into the shaft. Kanna 
heard something giggling echo through the duct, 
followed by frantic footsteps. "I've got someone to 
catch!" 
  Kanna strained her ears as Shizuka disappeared from 
view. She heard her shout, "I've got you now, old man!" 

  The guests busied themselves at the reception after 
the wedding ceremony, seated around several round 
tables helping themselves to the food. Among the 
caterers Ukyo served up okonomiyaki to order at a cart, 
while Hayato did the same with takoyaki in the next 
cart over, competing for the same business, as usual. 
Not far away Cologne and Shampoo did their share in the 
food service by selling their best Chinese dishes 
quickly. 
  Soon, however, their attentions were drawn as 
Tatewaki Kuno made his way to each cart and sampled the 
food, voicing loudly that he would include his tastes 
in his book. With that in mind all the vendors worked 
double and even triply hard to please the writer who 
had sold thousands of copies of his first book. 
  Ranma walked to where the first cask of sake was, 
its seal broken by the newlyweds as part of tradition. 
He raised a glass to the groom. "Congratulations." 
  Mousse nodded, raising his own glass. "Yeah, thanks." 
  Beside him, in his arm, Kanna offered the martial 
artist a curtly smile. "New beginnings." 
  Before he could form a reply, Ranma felt someone tap 
him on the shoulder. Turning, he saw his old rival from 
junior high. "Ryoga! What's up?" 
  "Akane wants to see you," he said urgently. "Now." 
  "Well, whatever it is, it can't be that impor...." 
  "She said, 'NOW.'" This time Ryoga placed further 
emphasis on the last word, and Ranma immediately got 
the hint. 
  Turning back to the couple, he said, "Catch you guys 
later, we're likely going to split." 
  "I see," Kanna said, nodding in understanding. 
  "Hope you have a strong kid, Saotome!" Mousse added 
encouragingly. 
  Ryoga pushed his way back through the crowd, Ranma in 
tow. "I sent off your dad to get us transportation, but 
I don't think he'll find any, so Akari asked Nabiki." 
  "Smart," noted Ranma. "How many other people know 
about this?" 
  "You, me, Akane, Akari... Nabiki... your parents...." 
  "Oh man," groaned the martial artist. "This's going 
to be quite a ride." 
  As they departed, the platform stage set up for the 
entertainment became the center of attention as the 
bride and groom took their seats. Set up in a perfect 
square only a microphone stood there, connected to a 
set of speakers in a wonderful sound system. Loud 
clomping followed, and a bound Happosai flew across the 
platform as Shizuka skidded into view, grabbing the 
microphone as she went. 
  "Sorry I'm late," she offered quickly, regaining her 
composure. She eyed the old lecher carefully, watching 
to make sure the talisman she stuck on his head would 
keep him knocked out for a few minutes, at least. "At 
first I was going to do this by myself, but I need a 
couple volunteers." 
  The priestess saw many hands go up, but she fingered 
only two. Clenching her hands together Miranda Kusao 
mouthed a "Yes!" as she came up, followed by Mizuki 
Shimozuki, who had not raised a hand at all, but went 
anyway. She shook her head as she went, as if there was 
no point in arguing with the junior priestess. 
  Breathing heavily into the mike, Shizuka eyed the 
bride and groom seated near the foot of the stage. 
"Okay, now... granted, I'm no good at this, but Kanna, 
you could consider this another gift from your best 
friend, on request." 
  Kanna immediately flashed her gaze in Shion's 
direction, seated near the stage equipment, who simply 
nodded and smiled, as he did when he didn't want to be 
bothered. Mousse just laughed, having a good idea what 
was coming up. 
  "Now that we've got the dedication thing squared 
away," she continued, waving a finger toward Shion, 
"hit it!" 
  Miranda and Mizuki looked at each other as the music 
kicked up, Shizuka getting down to the groove only she 
seemed to hear. The elder priestess merely shrugged, 
mouthing, "Just fake it," and Miranda understood 
completely. 
  At the same time, each held out their right hands in 
the stop sign. "Stop! In the naaaame of love...." 
  The Master of Hidden Weapons could not cease his 
laughing, and Kanna's cold dismay melted as well as the 
three lunars took on Diana Ross and the Supremes on 
their own, tone-deaf terms. 

  Ranma was thankful for a thousand times when the 
ambulance allowed only himself to board the back with 
his wife, leaving the others behind. Even Nabiki had 
the sense to stay, further pointing out that it was 
discourteous for the guests to leave en-masse, and 
Nodoka had to agree. 
  By the time they got Akane into a proper bed she was 
yanking at the martial artist's pony tail, pulling him 
out of sheer pain and frustration. 
  "RANMA!!" she screamed. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, YOU 
IDIOT!!!" 
  "Someone drug her!" Ranma screamed in turn, unable to 
fight back against Akane's might. 
  And in the next second he wished he hadn't. 
  "Oh, ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!!" 
  Akane released her hold in surprise as a storm of 
black rose petals rained from the ceiling. "GYAAAHH!!" 
  "Kodachi?!" Ranma gulped. 
  Popping up from behind one of the doctors was the 
intern of the hospital, the anesthesiologist in 
training, Kodachi Kuno. The martial artist shook his 
head, remembering suddenly that of all the hospitals 
in Tokyo, they managed to pick the one Kodachi was at. 
Or, rather, the one Nabiki picked. 
  "Mister Ranma!" Kodachi said loudly, obviously 
amused. "It is truly a pleasure that you called for my 
aid this one time!" 
  "I wish I didn't." 
  "Kodachi, look!" one of the doctors said, his 
fingers at the floor. "Who's going to clean this up?" 
  "Never mind that!" she snapped, instantly putting on 
a serious face. She held out her cupped hands, holding 
black rose petals and waving them under the doctor's 
nose. "Just relax." 
  Ranma watched in shocked fascination as the doctor's 
expression melted from its furious exterior to a more 
relaxed one. "Yes, yes... I suppose so...." 
  "Don't knock him out!" Ranma yelled. 
  "GET RID OF HER!!" demanded Akane, but this time 
Ranma managed to avoid her grip of death. 
  Tossing the petals over her shoulder, Kodachi 
whipped out a bottle of undetermined liquid and a 
needled syringe from her clean coat. "Although I am not 
doctor in name, in training Kodachi Kuno is!" she 
replied, raising her voice back to splendor. "You see, 
it takes a complex formula time to settle a patient in, 
but my new formula should do the trick!" 
  Before anyone could stop her the intern injected her 
solution into Akane's arm. 
  Ranma wanted to jump at the crazy girl, but he did 
not wish to risk the wrath of going over Akane. "What'd 
you do that for?!" 
  "But it feels good!" insisted Kodachi, pointing her 
spent needle toward Akane. "See how my patient enters 
the relaxation phase, letting go of all care of her 
pain, as there is no pain to care for!" 
  For the first time since entering the hospital, the 
ringing in Ranma's ears, true to Kodachi's word, had 
stopped. Akane stared up at the ceiling lazily as the 
chemicals did their work in her system. To Ranma's 
eye she looked no better than one who was smashed up 
drunk. 
  "That felt great," Akane said, "how about some more?" 
  "What kind of a painkiller is that?" wondered her 
husband. 
  "I don't believe she did that," one of the assistants 
said. "We hadn't tested it on a human before, just on 
lab mice...." Kodachi flashed him a look that said, 
"What do you know, you ignoramus?" 
  This time Ranma reached over Akane and grabbed 
Kodachi by the scruff of her shirt. "You gave her lab 
rat crap?!" 
  She nodded several times, seemingly drunk, but her 
gaze suggested otherwise. "Of course, the sedative is 
but a side effect of its purpose, but we will not let 
that bother us, will we, dear Ranma?" 
  "Side effect?" echoed Ranma. "Then what is it?" 
  "It was supposed to kill bacteria in infections," 
offered the doctor. "We're awaiting final approval on 
the compound, so...." 
  This time Ranma wished he could kill Kodachi. "You 
idiot! What if that kills my kid?! What if it screws up 
my wife?! What do you say to that?!" 
  Kodachi tore Ranma's grip away with surprising 
strength, then straightened her lab coat. "Why do you 
worry so much? Would you prefer some yourself?" she 
asked, replacing the needle on the syringe. 
  "No." 
  This time her tone became serious. "Honestly, my 
darling Ranma, have you so little faith in my work that 
you would question it ceaselessly?" 
  "Yes." 
  "Humph!" she snorted, folding her arms. "Had I little 
or no faith I would never have injected her in the 
first place." 
  "I doubt that." 
  "Are you so persistent because it was I who carried 
out the deed?" 
  "Yes." 
  "I doubt your reaction would be much more different 
if Doctor Fujieda were the culprit!" 
  "Hey!" complained Fujieda. 
  "Bah, you drug everything you get your grubby hands 
on," Ranma countered. "From day one since we've met 
you've drugged, poisoned, and otherwise turned me into 
your personal lab rat. And you expect me to entrust my 
wife's life in your hands? How do you expect anyone to 
accept YOU as a doctor?" 
  He realized he pushed a wrong button when Kodachi 
threw the syringe toward the floor, producing a loud 
twang of the needle spearing itself into the tile. His 
composure faltered and his palms sweated as Kodachi's 
aura threatened to explode. She raised a fist in anger, 
and Ranma watched it shake, growing in intensity with 
each passing moment. 
  "How little you understand," she hissed slowly. "You, 
but a boy when you were wed... you think you know how 
the world works? Do you believe because it was I who 
administered a proven formula that it was rat poison?" 
  "Do you truly believe everything planned shall go as 
such?" the intern asked, raising her voice an octave. 
"Do you believe that I became an intern at this 
illustrious hospital simply because I was a rich man's 
spoiled brat of a daughter? DO YOU?!" 
  Ranma cowered as Kodachi's world threatened to 
engulf him, thoroughly blocking out the presence of the 
others. 
  "Infection it was designed to destroy in its original 
conception in another man's mind," she continued, 
lowering her voice to a more threatening tone, "but 
that it did not do. No; what one plans for their 
brainchild to do becomes moot when the results yield 
yet another result. I have spent the past three years 
working on this solution, Ranma-darling, and it is 
because of my research on that compound that I achieve 
lofty ends. And you, poor boy that you are, still cling 
to childhood memories of the ghost hiding under the 
bed!" 
  "You're a master at paralysis solutions," Ranma said, 
trying to gain a footing in a one-sided argument. "It 
was no wonder you could find something that could 
paralyze the very cells that tell us we're in pain... 
the ones that tell us we're alive. No wonder your 
work was so good; you were already an expert at it." 
  "Flattery will get you a ticket out the window!" 
Kodachi hissed angrily, rolling up her left sleeve. 
"Had you the patience and understanding that any 
virtuous man has, perhaps you would not be so quick in 
making rash decisions and irresponsible judgements! How 
dare you even THINK of getting married as young as you 
are, a mere boy of ten-odd years? Even now you are 
still but a boy! Have you not the sense to grow up, or 
has your wit... or half of it, clouded the very idea?" 
  "Ugh," groaned Akane. "That was easier than I 
thought...." 
  "Eh?!" both Kodachi and Ranma gasped at once, 
realizing that they were missing out on something 
rather important. 
  "Well, now!" Fujieda declared, over the sound of a 
crying infant. "That was the easiest I've ever had it 
done!" 
  "Oh... my... god," Ranma cursed. "I missed it." 
  Akane laughed to herself, lying against her pillow 
almost serenely. "It felt like nothing... nothing at 
all...." 
  Kodachi regained her composure, folding her arms and 
assuming a proud face. "Well! It appears the genius of 
Kuno has struck gold once more! Oh, ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!" 
  "Eh... eh... eh... it's over...?" Ranma did not want 
to believe it. 
  "Well, congratulations," said the doctor. "It's a 
healthy baby...." 


			*  *  *  *  * 

  "I can show you no more," Sypha said, finishing her 
reading. 
  Ranma and Akane remained silent as the sorcerer 
removed her dragon pearl from the desk, replacing it 
somewhere up her sleeve. 
  "Is this a future that will happen?" asked Ranma. "Or 
something that may happen?" 
  Sypha shrugged. "Use that information as you will. 
Perhaps if you act against it you may create it. Maybe 
if you do nothing it will happen. Or if you live your 
life normally, it may not happen. The reward I offered 
you is a double-edged sword in that respect." 
  "Then why did you offer it to us?" Akane wondered. 
  "Because it is no longer tolerable that you two be 
ignorant of what goes on around you," Sypha explained. 
"Your days as kids is over; you are young adults 
growing up with the world around you. I have seen many 
people live and die in the thousands of years I lived, 
and few of them were able to go through life ignorantly 
blissful. But it is the ignorant who do the most 
damage in our world-- both our worlds. The informed are 
oft more careful in their decisions, decisions which 
affect themselves and those around them. You two make 
decisions affecting both, in many people, and it is 
critical that you grow and learn from each other-
mistakes, loves, hates, hopes and dreams... all of it. 
It is because these people help define who you are; by 
helping them they help make you a better person." 
  "I offered you two a favor that many others will go 
through their lives without, and what you do with that 
is up to you. You can learn from your experiences, or 
you can repeat them for the rest of time, and I do hope 
for your sake that you choose the former. The meaning 
of life is to live, to be truthful, but a life living 
in joy and happiness is far superior to that of misery 
and suffering. Your lives mean a great deal not only to 
yourselves, but to those you call friends and allies, 
relatives, enemies, and rivals." 
  "The most I can ask of you is to make the most out of 
your lives; live it to its fullest." 

  Ranma sighed to himself as he glanced to the party 
at the dojo, hands in his pockets. Beside him, Akane 
kept company with the forlorn silence. 
  "I think I'm going to set things straight," he said 
aloud. 
  "What?" asked Akane. 
  "I thought about what Sypha showed us," the martial 
artist replied. "She said it was something that might 
happen, right?" 
  Akane nodded. "The future's not set in stone, hasn't 
been written yet." 
  "I think she offered us a chance, Akane," he 
explained. "A chance to set things right I wouldn't 
have ever thought there was a problem with." 
  "You're going to settle things with Kanna," she 
guessed. "From one warrior to another." 
  He nodded. "Her, and Ukyo." Ranma produced her paired 
jade dragon earrings, their ruby eyes sparkling against 
the sun's morning light. "Shizuka, and..." he struggled 
to mention the name, "even Kodachi Kuno. Who would've 
thought that even she'd be so integral in our future?" 
  "Or so different," Akane added. "I've never seen her 
so... serious like that before. It's possible she's no 
different than we are." 
  Ranma breathed a heavy sigh, shaking his head. 
"Life's too short to carry around meaningless grudges 
and burdens for five years; I owe them that much, at 
least, for what they'd gone through... and go through, 
for me." He started toward the dojo. 
  "Ranma," Akane interrupted sternly. "I don't remember 
a thing you had to settle with Shizuka." 
  Her husband glanced over his shoulder and winked, a 
flash of inspiration in his eyes. "Well, it can't hurt 
to save a bit of change while I'm at it, can it?" 

  Sitting cross-legged on the rocks rimming the koi 
pond Shizuka stroked the scales on Thanatos' back 
lovingly, and the boa constrictor slithered its forked 
tongue. While many recognized that the priestess had a 
strange affinity for the reptile most kept their 
distance from it whenever possible-- particularly 
girls that found an aversion to slimey things, a fact 
which Shizuka was always too ready to refute. 
  The snake coiled himself around Shizuka's waist and 
around her left arm, holding his head up to the girl's 
face. 
  "I'm glad to see you well," someone said from 
behind. 
  Shizuka hardly had to turn to know who it was. "I was 
wondering where you'd gone to, Hokuto." 
  The Shadow Weaver's footsteps rustled in the low 
grass softly as she approached. "I felt that I was not 
welcome to the victory party, considering what my other 
half did." 
  "Maybe you're right," conceded the priestess, "the 
others probably aren't as forgiving as I am." 
  "You're too much. To a fault, almost." 
  "It's not a fault, it's a virtue." 
  "If you say so." Hokuto shrugged. "For such a cynic 
you sure are naive." 
  That's what she'd like you to believe, Shizuka heard 
Thanatos say to the Shadow Weaver, his sibilant voice 
echoing in her head. 
  "Don't talk back to me, snake," Hokuto warned. 
  Thanatos flicked his tongue in amusement. 
  "Huh," she snorted, "the snake named Death and her 
master have the same sharp tongue." 
  "When you get a familiar, maybe it'll have the same 
cheery personality you do," Shizuka replied 
sarcastically. 
  "Fat chance." 
  Shizuka laughed, and the boa constrictor followed 
suit in her mind. Changing the subject, she asked, 
"So... what're you going to do now?" 
  Hokuto sighed. "I don't know, to tell you the truth. 
I need some time to think things through, and perhaps 
rethink how I've been living my life. After all that's 
happened there's no reason to dodge my responsibility 
anymore." 
  "So you're going home?" guessed Shizuka. 
  Although she did not turn her head to see, she knew 
the Shadow Weaver was nodding. "I need to make amends 
for what I did, starting with them. I need to show them 
that our destinies are ours to seize, not an arbitrary 
superior being's whim. Since our family's tradition 
has been passed for over fifteen-hundred years it may 
be hard to accept... but in time the damage can be 
undone. I hope." 
  "Sometimes hope is all we have," added the priestess. 
  "Perhaps," Hokuto considered. "But it doesn't end 
with them. All the people I've hurt... directly or 
indirectly, for the past three years since I ran away 
from home... I have to apologize to them. I need to 
clean my soiled past." 
  "That should take a while," noted Shizuka. For the 
first time she turned her head to face her friend. 
"Hokuto... you're putting yourself at the mercy of all 
those people. It's not easy to go back across the 
river once you've burned the bridge. If I were you, I'd 
never think to go back across the river. But then, 
that's me." She shrugged, turning her whole body around 
with her back to the pond. 
  Slowly the priestess stood to her feet, towering over 
Hokuto slightly. "And it's not because I know it won't 
be easy that I'm wishing you the best of luck. In fact, 
I know you'll succeed. When you go out there, though, 
don't forget to stop by my place when you get the 
chance, okay? You're my friend, so I care about you. 
Don't forget that, okay?" She held out her free right 
hand. 
  Hokuto stared down at the hand awkwardly, unsure 
whether or not to take it. "I can't promise anything. 
I'm still Hokuto the Shadow Weaver, after all." 
  "And that's the way you always should be," Shizuka 
replied with a smile. 
  Slowly, the esper of shadow extended her right hand 
out, and shook with her friend strongly. "I'll be back, 
Shizu," she said, offering her own small grin. "You 
count on it." 


One Week Later 

  School days were often rather quiet when students 
were passing from home to the school grounds, but to 
Ranma and Akane, as they set out the door, it seemed 
all but quiet. 
  They waved good-bye for the day as Soun, Nodoka, 
Genma, and Kasumi saw them off. Nabiki, leaning out her 
window on the second story, offered her own gesture of 
good will by paying them the barest attention at all. 
No sooner had they turned their eyes the middle Tendo 
sister was already back to work at her desk and her 
computer. 
  At the other end of the computer Shion waved off 
Chika as she frantically packed her bags for school, 
dashing off as if she were late. Outside she met up 
with Ayame, who stopped on the way to school every 
morning at the exact same time, ridiculing her friend 
as she did all the time for her behavior. 
  Not far away, down the street Miranda, too, was 
heading off toward school, making a long detour stop 
at the front gates of the Kuno estate. A stink bomb in 
hand, she lobbed it over the wall, causing a stir and 
forcing Kodachi's mother into action. Not long 
afterward Kodachi was out the gate, chasing down her 
rival with a ribbon, with Tatewaki and his father 
standing behind with clothespins on their noses, ready 
to clean the mess under Mother's supervision. 
  Shampoo and Mousse watched the two rivals run by 
Tofu's office, their travel bags slung over their 
shoulders. Behind them were Ling-ling, Lung-lung, 
Paste, and the rest of the Amazon team following 
Shampoo. Tofu waved the Chinese group a heartily 
farewell, sorry to see the extra help he had for the 
past week go. 
  Not far away Kanna Rajura, too, was readying her 
travel bags, rushing to meet up with Mousse as they 
planned earlier. She passed by Ryoga and Akari, the 
former staring at a map, and Akari waiting patiently 
for him to orient the map in the right direction. They 
tore their eyes away from the map long enough to wave 
to the passing Ranma and Akane, and they repaid the 
wave in turn. 
  Johan Ritters watched Ranma and Akane pass by on 
the bridge as he performed a street show there, drawing 
plenty of attention from other students on their way to 
class. The couple waved and kept going, walking through 
Nerima's business district and passing by Hayato's 
Takoyaki, where Ukyo and Konatsu were giving their 
rival a little business of their own. They waved as 
they passed by, and the three waved back in return 
before resuming business. 
  Ranma almost bumped into Senryu Amakusa, Asuka the 
White Lily at his side in his arm, both followed by 
Spencer Bates and Sakurai Sasaki. Each gave their 
apologies, and moved on to their respective 
destinations. Not long afterward Akane spotted Higure 
Furui and Shang Long at a nearby coffee shop, relaxing 
and chatting over old times over a warm brew. 
  Leaving the business district they rounded a corner, 
only to be confronted by both Cinder and Sypha. The 
salamander stared at Ranma from the darkness under his 
heavy hood, concealed like the day Akane first met him. 
No words passed amongst the four, only nods, and both 
kami stepped out of the way and let the couple pass. 
Short words passed between the salamander and the 
dragon, but in a tongue neither Ranma nor Akane could 
understand. 
  Not far away they saw a cleanup crew, picking up some 
of the debris left behind by the Mekani battle. 
Although most people would not give it a second glance 
Akane caught sight of Philip Taydome, recognizing him 
from his appearance long ago, but said nothing of it as 
he directed the crew. 
  Finally the two made it through the front gates of 
Furinkan High. Ranma paid courtesy greetings to his 
fellows, Hiroshi, Daisuke... and even Gosunkugi, while 
Akane did the same for her friends, including Yuka and 
Sayuri. Both gave a quick hello to Hinako as she 
carried her equipment through in her scatterbrained 
manner. 
  Ranma stopped, catching movement out of the corner of 
his eye. Glancing in the direction of the headmaster's 
statue he thought he saw the Shadow Weaver, Hokuto, 
but it was either his imagination, or she dropped out 
of sight too quickly. Akane asked him what the matter 
was, but he shook his head. She then directed his eyes 
toward the opposite end of the yard, where several 
schoolgirls were cheering Shizuka Minazuki as she held 
a beaten Happosai in her hands, laughing triumphantly, 
and with good reason. Mizuki stood nearby, against a 
tree, nodding to herself approvingly. 
  Laughing to himself, he looked toward Akane. "Well, 
I wouldn't call it an ending, would you?" 
  She nodded, having to agree. "Every day is a set of 
new beginnings. Another set of challenges, another set 
of joys and pains. Another day to live." 
  "Together," Ranma added. 
  They walked into the school together. 



			*  *  *  *  * 

Shizuka (VO): 

  "At the end of the war, nothing was the same. I look 
back at those times with a certain fondness, as when I 
turned seventeen that year I learned quite a bit of 
myself, and of the people around me." 
  "Ranma and Akane seemed to have finally come to an 
understanding of each other. I'm not sure how things 
were before I came in on the scene, but it seems to me 
that these two kids have grown up much. Well, maybe not 
that much, but enough to get going. That villain 
Nabiki Tendo was crafty in her Machiavellian ways; not 
even this last trick would change my opinion of her." 
  "For his part, I'm sure Ranma's finally ready to let 
go of his friends...." 
  "I think his rival, Ryoga, was the easiest to see 
off with a happy life. Ranma took no small part in 
helping Ryoga face his feelings, after all. Happily 
married and living quietly with Akari in the country, 
its a wonder the two are expecting their first child, 
since Ryoga still gets lost all the time." 
  "Somewhere, deep down, I think Ranma might even like 
Tatewaki Kuno. The poor clod's still full of ideals 
from a bygone age, but the sum of his college life is 
looking toward a promising future in business, but he 
plans to go into writing. I wouldn't be surprised; 
after all, his even-bigger clod of a father is a school 
headmaster. It's the ones that underestimate him 
that'll be surprised the most; such is the way of 
things. Even fools can achieve greatness; I'm proof of 
that." 
  "I'd dare say that Kodachi is still one despised 
girl, but somewhere I guess Ranma respects her on one 
level. She, too, had to learn how to grow up, and has 
proven that she can be an effective leader when she set 
her mind to it; not unlike her mother. Definitely one 
to watch closely in the coming years-- aiming for a 
doctorate in medical science. Still, I don't think I 
want someone like her looking at me for check-ups...." 
  "Shampoo may not be the tribal leader she strove to 
be, but that's life; you can't always get what you want 
on the first try. Sometimes I wonder what it is that 
keeps her ticking, or what Ranma sees in her. Given the 
state of her homeland, though, I doubt she'll be bored 
anytime soon-- such is the way of the warrior. Perhaps, 
one day, the fish won't get away from the cat. It 
doesn't take a fortune-teller to know that." 
  "Surprising it was for Mousse to achieve all his 
goals, different that they were from his original 
conception. A powerful warrior, a leader of his tribe, 
respected, and with a woman at his side. Watching Ranma 
and Mousse part for the last time, I couldn't help but 
notices a somewhat grudging respect for one another. 
Perhaps Ranma did consider him a rival after all." 
  "Most surprising of all, I think, was Ukyo. I'm not 
sure what to think, really, but it was for the best 
that she went home to her father and Konatsu. Maybe, 
just maybe, she wanted Ranma to understand that friends 
come and go, but memories are forever. We talked every 
once in a while to see how things were going, and I 
still like Ukyo's okonomiyaki. She's still a damn 
hypocritical bastard, though. Last I heard the Kuonji 
and Saotome families were reestablishing contact with 
one another-- perhaps there was hope for Ranma and 
Ukyo after all." 
  "As for the rest.... I heard that most of the people 
who got Nabiki's word finally accepted Ranma and Akane 
as a couple. She's effectively taken up Shion's job, 
and is doing a surprisingly good job about it, too. She 
was taught by the master himself, of course. Last I 
heard of Pantyhose Taro he's still the head of his 
tribe, even with that stupid name-- and quite respected 
despite it, something I believe he always wanted. It 
sounded like Daichi and Shoto Kuno are settling down in 
their aging-- good for them. And Hikaru Gosunkugi, I 
hear, is actually trying to move on." 
  "Master Higure, the last I heard from him, was 
planning on traveling the world in the short life he 
had left to him. In the relatively short time I got to 
know the thousand-year-old priest I learned to respect 
the wisdom of the ages, and perhaps much more. I do 
hope he plans on stopping by one day." 
  "His colleague, Shang Long, is still the head of the 
Cult of Orochi. Even after suffering a bitter defeat 
in their ages-long secret war the minions of the dragon 
god remain steadfast to their beliefs. Reaver seems a 
patient sort to me; perhaps Orochi's cult will thrive 
at last under his leadership." 
  "Johan Ritters I hear is currently living in Japan, 
after securing a sweet deal with a high-up company. 
In fact, he's in quite some demand for his dancing 
talents, but it's completely odd that it was originally 
to playtest Konami's Dance Dance Revolution; it seemed 
that a few designers thought it would be too hard for 
human players, particularly some of the hard songs, 
but he proved it could be done. I heard he got a good 
amount of cash out of it, and is still working for 
those guys, testing all the time with those moves." 
  "Senryu Nishimura returned from his self-imposed 
exile from the world a changed man. The first thing he 
did was disband the Church of Saint Hebereke 
completely, citing his unworthiness. He has since 
reformed the institution of his to promote education to 
higher standards, and last I heard Senryu's school once 
again became a hotly-contested hall of learning. Both 
Spencer and Sakurai are doing well for themselves, 
too." 
  "Cinder and Miranda parted, as I bore witness to this 
myself. Having achieved his ends in a roundabout 
manner, Cinder was ready to return to his home plane as 
the Guardian of Suzaku's seal, as it hardly mattered 
which side the Guardian lived on. Miranda, I suppose, 
was saddened to see him off, as well as happy for him. 
I wonder often how intimate the master-student 
relationship was, but Miranda seems to be doing well 
for herself with her newfound fame. Last I heard she 
was in college-- doing what, I have no clue, but I 
wouldn't be surprised if it were some kind of physical 
activity; she's definitely made for that." 
  "Shion and Kanna parted as well, unlikely to see each 
other for quite a while. Kanna proved a very valuable 
asset and girl for Mousse, and I doubt Shion is 
envious; he seemed quite happy to see his old friend 
finally happy. It seems that Kanna was quite well- 
received after the final resolution of the Cistern 
Valley War; her studies effectively make her a tactical 
genius. Also, it seems that both Shion and Chika 
hung up their side jobs for good, as Chika landed a 
good job at an animation studio with college on the 
side, and Shion was recently hired by a software firm 
to concoct a new security program. Judging from his 
skill, I'd say they got their money's worth." 
  "Sypha vanished after she left for home when Cinder 
reopened the Gate for her. Despite her voiced hatred 
of humans and humanity in general, it was ironic that 
she chose to retain her human shape even after being 
released from her cursed state. While the ancient 
dragon credited it with having being more used to it 
these days more than her dragon form, and thus much 
more useful, somehow I believe Sypha, the Star Crusher, 
liked humans more than she was willing to admit. She 
wouldn't be the first to be in this kind of situation, 
I know, but the way she carried herself in the end 
proved it. I wonder if she and Cinder still talk to 
each other now that they're home." 
  "Last I heard from Ayame she was about to get 
grounded by her mom for being an arms dealer, but the 
head Mishima pulled some strings and got her a full- 
time job in the family business. I have no idea what 
in the world she does, but I'd hazard a guess on it. 
Likely keeping guys like Taydome in line; there's 
certainly more to the mobster-wanna-be than meets the 
eye." 
  "The Shadow Weaver dropped out of sight once again, 
and it's probably for the best. I hated her for a time, 
without understanding why she did what she did. Her 
motivations were alien, and no matter how many bad 
things she did to me I found I couldn't hate her for 
it. Maybe I'm stupid, maybe I'm a real sucker, or maybe 
I'm just too forgiving, but at the end of the day she's 
still my friend." 
  "Sometimes I still feel the tug of darkness from 
when I summoned Deathclaw, to the ghost dragon's bitter 
amusement. I'm actually sorry to say I'm getting used 
to it, even if it's starting to get stronger all the 
time. At the same time the light... the seraph that 
Hokuto awakened in me, seemed to threaten my being; 
Mizuki says that it's a part of me, and that I should 
learn to embrace it. If that is the kind of stuff the 
seraph enjoys, she's welcome to it, but I'd rather be 
left out of it. It's my life and I like the room dark, 
thank you very much. I have no regrets in this life, 
for all the decisions I made, or were forced to make." 
  "There are times on random nights were I take a walk 
in the courtyard, and simply stare at the moon high in 
the heavens, and wonder... and dream. It was by no 
random chance that we all met, but it was by no means 
pre-determined by a thoughtless concept as Fate-- 
circumstance pulled us together. Each of us took 
something of each other from it, making all of us 
better people in the end. Perhaps that was the reason I 
started on this journey so long ago. And perhaps that 
is the reason I'm continuing that journey." 
  "It'll be good to see them again, now that the time 
of our reunion draws near, five years since I turned 
seventeen. Maybe they will return after all." 
  "The future is what we make of it." 


			*  *  *  *  * 

Dream Chasers 

Shizu: Every night when I sleep 
       A new world unfolds before me 
       It is a place of imagination 
       And there are so many things to see! 

Mira:  With the rise of the morning sun 
       The land of dreams disappears 
       It vanishes in the dawn, but it is never gone 

Both:  Chase your dreams 
       There's no end for you and me 
       Chase your dreams 
       The limit of imagination is infinity 

Mira:  In a wonderful place I remember 
       The expression on your youthful face 
       Everything happened as I dreamed... 
       I wish we could never leave this place! 

Shizu: Waking reality tears me away from you 
       And all we shared is a distant memory 
       If I followed my dream, surely it can be true! 

Both:  Chase your dreams 
       A place where you fulfill regrets 
       Chase your dreams 
       I promise I'll never forget! 

Both:  Chase your dreams 
       There's no end for you and me 
       Chase your dreams 
       The limit of imagination is infinity 


Singer: Miranda Kusao, Shizuka Minazuki 
Lyrics: Shizuka Minazuki 
Arranger: Razorclaw X, 2000 



----------------------------------------------- 
Author's Notes 

  Thank you for reading. 


Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@NOREPLYhotmail.com) 
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/ranma/ranff.html 

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