*** Earth  0.000,0.000

Kozo Fuyutsuki tapped a few times on the keyboard of his computer and 
watched the information scrolling across his screen with interest.  An 
image of Ranma Saotome, captured by one of the hidden cameras that had 
been hastily installed in the walls of the dormitory before his special 
training began, froze in mid-motion on the screen.  The boy's scores 
showed a modest increase in several areas, and Fuyutsuki was pleased.  
He leaned back in his chair and stretched.

The screen finished scrolling, printing out one final line while a soft 
beep was heard from the system.  He leaned forward again and read the 
words on the screen.

*PHYSICAL ANALYSIS COMPLETE.  UPDATING FILES.

"Today is the day we see how much you've improved, my boy," murmured 
Fuyutsuki absently.  "I'm counting on you, so don't fail me."

It was finally the day of Ranma and Utena's rematch, to take place on 
the grounds of Ohtori Academy this time.  Unable to sleep due to his 
anticipation about the outcome, Fuyutsuki had gotten up before dawn to 
analyze Ranma's data.  The boy was proving to be a most fascinating 
case study, along with Nabiki Tendo and Kodachi Kuno.  He was looking 
forward to seeing what developed if Ukyo Kuonji could be added to the 
mixture.  But the grouping also needed another strong male or two to 
balance things out, as well as give Ranma some competition from others 
of his own gender.

Unfortunately, from what Fuyutsuki had observed of the few visits to 
the Imperial Academy grounds by Mikado Sanzenin and Tatewaki Kuno from 
Whitehall, those two did not appear to be offering much of a challenge 
for the boy.  But there were other testing sites available in the local 
region to draw from, such as Furinkan.  A few Newtypes were undergoing 
training there at that facility, and the recently-transferred Akane 
Tendo was already interacting with one of them.  Furinkan had recently 
acquired a new headmaster, and Fuyutsuki reminded himself to schedule a 
meeting with the man and acquaint him with the special students he 
would be held responsible for instructing.

Fuyutsuki had been spending the pre-dawn morning comparing Utena's and 
Ranma's scores, the girl's having been provided by her own overseer, 
Professor Hiro Fuji, the Headmaster of Ohtori Academy.  Though they had 
been friends and colleagues for many years, the smug look on the other 
man's face when he had handed him the datadisk was still irritating.  
Despite their friendship, Fuyutsuki was not about to lose a second 
time.

However, Utena's numbers still remained within fifty basis points of 
Ranma's, a result of some hard training that Fuji had apparently put 
her through in the past week, and that left the situation in doubt.  
The girl was a very strong contender, but then so was the boy.  Still, 
Fuyutsuki had a good feeling about Ranma's chances.  The final sparring 
session with Tiger had been most enlightening in that regard.

Ranma had used the boost.

Fuyutsuki tapped a few keys on his keyboard and advanced the time index 
for the recording.  The images rushed forward and then paused on the 
desired moment.  Frozen in recorded time on the screen, Ranma was just 
getting back to his feet.  His face was bruised and battered, but there 
was a glint emerging in his gaze as the boost began to take hold of 
him.  Fuyutsuki unpaused the image and let it begin to play from that 
point. 

The computer began scrolling a new set of numbers, showing the effects 
of the boost on Ranma's body.  The boy's strength and speed shot up 
tremendously, surpassing even the enhanced physique of the catgirl's 
for the duration of the boost's effects.  It was truly awe-inspiring to 
watch the boy in action, an almost-perfect human fighting machine.

Roughly a minute later, the boost subsided, switched off by subliminals 
within Ranma's brain that monitored his metabolism.  Without them in 
place to limit the physical stresses placed on a human body, the boost 
would eventually burn it out completely, despite even the regenerative 
abilities of a Newtype.  That had happened to a number of subjects in 
the earlier stage of the Project.

Fuyutsuki paused the images on the screen and turned his chair to face 
the window.  He hadn't thought much about the Mark-I's in a while, what 
with the Project now giving most of their attention to the Mark-II's.  
The Project's scientists had produced a potent group of individuals, 
each one superior to normal humans in every aspect, both physical and 
mental.  The problem was that they had egos to match.  But that stage 
of the experiment had only produced one-tenth as many subjects as the 
present one, and over half of those died before they finally solved the 
problem with the boost.

The small handful of remaining Mark-I's had been allowed their freedom, 
using them in a final experiment to see how they would interact with 
ordinary humans, and if their genetic gifts would be inherited by their 
offspring.  But it was quickly discovered that most normal women could 
not conceive children from a Newtype male, due to the true nature of 
how the enhancement process was done.  The only exception to this had 
occurred in one particularly remote village in China.

Five of the Mark-I subjects had settled quite peacefully in such out of 
the way corners of the Empire, where they all still remained to this 
day.  Three had chosen to volunteer as janissaries in the Imperial Army 
in order to gain full Citizenship; two dying in the Emperor's service, 
and the last one mustering out at the end of his tour of duty as a 
Citizen.

The final one of the group had also been the youngest, barely into his 
adolescence upon his release into the world with the others.  But this 
one was special, created using genetic material taken from the previous 
century's greatest warrior and general, Shishio Makoto, a Hero of the 
Empire.  The original had been responsible for many of the Empire's 
greatest victories during the Colonial Wars, almost a century and a 
half ago.  Spanish-supported insurgent elements had even attempted to 
assassinate him several times, and one such attempt resulted in General 
Makoto suffering horrific burns over his entire body that would surely 
have killed a lesser man.

The original finally died in one of the War's final battles several 
years later, but his body had been preserved in the Mobius Institute's 
vaults by Imperial Decree.  The Empire's first (and only) attempt at 
cloning a human had even been given the name of the original by the 
Project's scientists, as well as having been eugenically enhanced.  The 
Mobius Institute attempted to contribute to the resurrection of this 
long-dead hero by trying to transfer all of the original's skills and 
memories into the cloned body, but they reportedly failed and further 
efforts were halted.  He was to be the only one of his kind, further 
work on cloning having later been banned by Imperial Edict, and all 
research materials destroyed.

After his release into the world with the others, young Shishio Makoto 
II had initially traveled with two of the males and one of the females 
who had finally ended up settling in China, but his youthful wanderlust 
drove him onward.  He then vanished for several years.  An Empire-wide 
manhunt for him eventually ended in abject failure, the boy somehow 
managing to evade the Security Directorate's efforts at finding him.  
That had been no surprise to the scientists who knew Shishio, for he 
had been clearly the best of the best.  Despite his youth and relative 
inexperience, he had been an extraordinary specimen, even by the high 
standards of his peers.

When Shishio finally reappeared, having grown into young manhood, he 
had visited his former travelling companions and spent some time in 
their village.  When word finally reached the Security Directorate that 
he had resurfaced, Shishio was already gone, but he had not departed 
alone.  A young woman from the village traveled with him now, said to 
be extraordinarily beautiful, and strong enough to hold his interest 
for an extended period of time.  The two of them then vanished once 
again, but Fuyutsuki was certain that the world had not heard the last 
of Shishio Makoto II.

What great wonders had been brought into the world in the last century, 
marveled Fuyutsuki.  He stood up and gazed out the window, his hands 
folded behind his back.  The Empire was leading the world into a new 
era of human achievement, but its successes had spawned a number of 
imitators.  Project Phoenix was not unique in the world; other nations 
struggled to duplicate its successes.

The efforts of the German's Human Instrumentality Project had come the 
closest to achieving a rough parity with the Empire's successes at 
eugenics, but their serum had turned out to be severely flawed.  It 
produced charismatic and physically attractive men and women, but they 
had flawed psyches.  The results of the German's efforts were arrogant, 
borderline sociopaths at best and megalomaniacal psychotics at worst, 
each of them possessing superhuman mental and physical abilities.

The German's had reportedly killed all of their initial test subjects 
when they grew to be uncontrollable, and the Empire's operatives had 
terminated the scientists responsible as well as destroying all the 
research.  The world could rest much easier knowing that those twisted 
monsters were all dead and buried, along with their mad creator, Keel 
Lorentz.  But Lorentz had been reported dead before, several times.  It 
would not surprise Fuyutsuki very much to learn that modern-day version 
of Doctor Frankenstein had somehow turned up alive again, but he hoped 
that the man was finally in his well-deserved grave.  The world was 
better off without his insane "vision" of the ultimate human.

Fuyutsuki watched the sun rising as his thoughts returned to the early 
days of Project Phoenix.  He had been a much younger man when he was 
recruited, full of wide-eyed wonder at the Empire's daring, eager to 
assist in the forging of a new breed of Humanity.  Now that dream was 
finally coming true, but each passing day he spent studying Ranma and 
the other adolescents in his charge made him wonder how he might have 
been as a father.

A brief image of Yumi Kuonji interrupted his reminiscing, and he shook 
his head.  Her invitation for him to return had only been an attempt to 
gain a new customer, and he should read nothing more into it.  Still, 
her cooking had been flavorful and masterfully created.  A good meal 
was a heavensend to a lifelong bachelor like himself.

The computer beeped once, reminding Fuyutsuki of its presence, so he 
returned to his desk and resumed playback.  He was astonished by what 
he saw next.  Tiger had come close to killing the boy, lifting him up 
by his throat with one hand, but then Ranma turned into what appeared 
to be some sort of feline atavism.  He had subdued the catgirl quickly, 
pinning her down after a rather brief wrestling match.  When Ranma 
began to groom Tiger with his tongue, Fuyutsuki raised one eyebrow at 
the sight.  He glanced at Ranma's scores, noting that they were now 
even higher than his boosted capabilities, if not by much.

Fuyutsuki stopped the playback at that point, unwilling to play voyeur.  
He could guess what must have happened next between the two, especially 
when Tiger began to respond in kind to the boy, with gentle kisses and 
lingering licks of her own.  After all, Ranma was a healthy human male, 
presumably with a normal sex drive for his age, and Tiger was a comely 
humanoid female.  The odds were excellent that the pair had engaged in 
intercourse, but Fuyutsuki respected Ranma's privacy, at least in that 
area of the boy's life.  However, he had better not have worn himself 
out playing with the catgirl.  The match against Ohtori was only a few 
hours away.


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Quantum Destinies
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic
By Jurai Knight (sthesken@earthlink.net)

Ranma 1/2 and its characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.  This story 
is inspired by her works and the stories from some of my fellow fanfic 
authors.  Among these are D.B. Sommer's "Shampoo 1/2", Jim Bader's "A 
Very Scary Thought -aka- Nabiki 1/2", and John Biles' Elseworlds 
series.  All C&C is welcome.

Other chapters of this story may be found at this website, or you can 
email the author for them:

The Quantum Destinies Homepage
http://home.earthlink.net/~sthesken/fanfics/qd.html


The list of worlds reoccurring in this chapter:
Earth  0.000,0.000 - The world of Scholar Ranma (Baseline cluster)


What has gone before in this story (or at least what will help you 
understand what is going on):

On a parallel Earth that diverged from the standard Ranma timeline over 
five hundred years ago, the Empire of Japan rules almost half the world 
and has done so for almost a century.  A young scientist named Ranma 
Saotome, through a device of his invention, is now possessed of the 
skills and memories of a martial artist version of himself.  Nodoka and 
Kenseiko prepared themselves to renew their rivalry.  Ranma has finally 
completed his training for a rematch against Utena, and also unleashed 
the power of the Cat Fist against Tiger.  Nabiki finally mastered the 
Chestnut Fist, after a very disappointing visit to Ohtori Academy.  She 
now waits to face off against Ranma when he finally returns.  Also, the 
rescue of Genma Saotome from the Shampoo 1/2 Earth draws nearer.


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chapter 15 - The Good, the Bad, and the Lost

     In order to create a hero, you must first create a villain.

                                   - Mission Impossible II

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Kinnosuke Kashuoh sleepily blinked his eyes open when morning sunlight 
impinged on them.  He yawned and stretched, feeling the muscles in his 
lower back ache slightly from the intensive efforts of the previous 
night.  Tiger had returned, and so he had declared that a celebration 
was in order.  They had eaten a delicious meal, and Lynx had performed 
the tea ceremony for them.

When he had finally eaten and drunk his fill, they had retired to his 
bedchambers, where all three of the catgirls had received his personal 
attentions.  After all, who was he to deny his faithful servants a 
sampling of his supreme virility?  It had been a most enjoyable evening 
spent satisfying his physical appetites, but it had only temporarily 
eased his longings for Nabiki Tendo.

Most of her associates had by now been "persuaded" to leave her ranks, 
swelling those of his own burgeoning organization, even though they 
still acted as if the Tendo girl still retained their loyalty.  That 
left only the Devil Hunter and Nabiki's two closest henchwomen as her 
true followers, and they could be dealt with easily enough by his trio 
of beautiful assistants.  He knew that all three catgirls desired to 
present him with a beaten Nabiki as a gift, and he was touched by the 
thought.  But he desired to do that himself, to prove to the Tendo girl 
his masculine superiority.  But first, as an appetizer, he would break 
Ranma Saotome right before her eyes

Everything was all going according to plan.

Feeling invigorated by thoughts of his inevitable victory, Kinnosuke 
leaned over and deeply kissed a sleeping Tiger, his hand moving gently 
to caress her flank.  The redheaded catgirl had received the majority 
of his efforts last night, a reward for her services.  He had noticed 
her lingering looks at him throughout dinner, interpreting them as a 
longing for his touch.  All three of them were such needy creatures.  
He smiled as he enjoyed feeling Tiger's smooth skin quiver beneath his 
touch.

Lynx watched her beloved's actions in the mirror on the ceiling, her 
eyes merely slits.  Tiger had been the favored one last night, and Lynx 
simmered with jealousy over that.  Kinnosuke-sama had only made love to 
her once last night.  Panther had received the same.  But Tiger had 
received his attentions three times!  It wasn't fair, she thought with 
a slight pout of her lips.

Panther cuddled against Kinnosuke's back, her arm wrapped around him as 
she smiled in her sleep.  She had loved wrestling with him last night, 
her favorite form of foreplay.  As physically strong as she was, she 
enjoyed knowing that her beloved master was stronger still.  She sighed 
in her sleep, rubbing her breasts against his back as she unconsciously 
hugged him like a favorite stuffed animal.

"Good morning, Kinnosuke-sama," whispered Tiger sleepily when the kiss 
was finally broken.  "Thank you for last night."  She gazed solemnly at 
his handsome face and felt guilty, the emotion triggering memories that 
troubled her.  Something had happened between her and Ranma that she 
never would have suspected could have.  She could not clearly recall 
what had taken place after he defeated her and then began grooming her 
with his tongue, but she had woken up in his arms to find that both of 
them were naked.

Shocked at this, Tiger had dressed Ranma and left him asleep in his 
cot, tarrying only long enough to put on her uniform and fix him a good 
meal for when he awoke (shying away from pondering what that act might 
imply).  Recalling these memories confused her, but Tiger's personality 
overrides quickly reasserted control.  The emotional conflict caused by 
these last memories was dealt with by suppressing the memories, and 
that returned Tiger to her previous state as Kinnosuke's loyal servant.

"Did you learn anything interesting about Saotome, Tiger?" Kinnosuke 
asked between lingering kisses.

"He's afraid of cats, Kinnosuke-sama," whispered Tiger, wondering why 
her stomach experienced a brief fluttering sensation when she said 
that.  She decided it could not be anything important.

Lynx smiled when she heard that.  She had been following Nabiki the 
other day and saw her nemesis shy away from several during the girl's 
walk home.  It had been interesting to learn, being part cat herself.

"Indeed?" Kinnosuke whispered against Tiger's neck.  "Lynx has told me 
that Nabiki shares such a fear.  A curious coincidence."  He kissed her 
throat.  "Perhaps you three can be a help to me after all."  He sat up 
a little bit, Tiger's arms still gently draped around his neck.  He 
briefly addressed the two slumbering catgirls, "Panther.  Lynx."

"Yes, Kinnosuke-sama," replied the two catgirls in stereo.  Panther 
stretched out her arms, causing her assets to firmly bounce from the 
motion.  Lynx merely gazed at her beloved master with attentive eyes.

"I have a plan to ensure my victory when the time comes, my fierce 
beauties.  Listen closely...."

                   ******************************

Ranma was munching on some breakfast in the Academy cafeteria, one of 
only a few cadets present in the room at this hour.  His attention was 
on the notebook in front of him.  Every now and then, he wrote down 
some brief notations on the formulae and diagrams within its pages, a 
smile occasionally appearing on his face.

Kodachi entered the room, a small book of poetry under her arm as she 
gazed around the area searching for her beloved.  The ninja spy she had 
assigned to follow Ranma had reported his current whereabouts to her, 
that he had finally emerged from his training on the day of his rematch 
against Utena Tenjou.  She had rushed over to the Academy to keep her 
eye on Ranma, and she intended to travel with him to Ohtori as his own 
personal cheerleader.  She also wanted to ensure that a certain pink-
haired slattern kept away from Kodachi's fiancé.  Not to mention that 
it would be nice to possibly see Miki again.

The young noblewoman's steps faltered for a brief moment, and then they 
quickly resumed their previous graceful pace.  In her youth, Miki Kaoru 
had been a dear friend.  Seeing him again during her otherwise-failed 
mission to Ohtori earlier this week had been a pleasant surprise.  The 
boy she knew had matured into a most handsome young man, and he had 
taken care of her when she had been injured by that brutish animal.  It 
had been nice to spend time catching up on each other's lives while 
they drank tea together.  If only Ranma was more like Miki when it came 
to her.  Miki would be a faithful fiancé, a woman could tell these 
things.

Kodachi's thoughts stalled once more.  Why was she thinking as much 
about Miki Kaoru as she was about her fiancé, Ranma Saotome?  She shook 
her head as if to banish the errant thought, her heart catching her by 
surprise with being able to care so strongly for two men.  No.  It was 
Ranma she loved.  Miki was just a friend, a good friend from her past.

"Hello, Saotome-kun," said Kodachi with a smile, brushing her hair back 
from her face.  "May I join you?"

Ranma blinked and looked up to see Kodachi standing there.  She had 
just asked him something, but for the life of him, he could not recall 
what she had said.

"May I join you?" Kodachi asked once more.  Ranma looked very fit and 
healthy today, and Kodachi found her thoughts wandering into uncharted 
territories again.  Images from some of the romance novels she read now 
and then sprang to mind, and she could easily picture Ranma as the 
dashing hero from one.  Wait.  Had he said something to her in reply?  
She reeled her thoughts back in from a brief fantasy that involved her, 
Ranma, and a large, silk-sheeted bed on some island paradise.

Ranma raised one eyebrow when Kodachi kept staring at him somewhat 
glassy-eyed, an odd smile on her face.  "You can sit down, Kodachi," he 
repeated.

"Uh, thank you, Saotome-kun," said Kodachi with a brief bow.  She sat 
down, her chair quite close to his.  Her brief fantasy had given her a 
marvelous idea.  Her family owned an expansive plantation in Hawaii 
that would make a nice getaway vacation for the two of them, and she 
could surely cement her relationship with Ranma if she could only get 
him away from the other trollops who unworthily sought him and kept 
getting in her way.  The mid-term break was coming up in a few weeks, 
so it would be a perfect time.

Ranma went back to working on his breakfast and making more notes, but 
he occasionally glanced at Kodachi.  She seemed content to smile at him 
and sigh every now and then, her gaze filled with a Hearts-and-Flowers 
look.  It made him feel an odd mixture of contentment and a quivering 
of fear.  Nabiki never looked at him that way.  He was certain that she 
would be happy if he just fell into ranks like a good little sidekick.  
And why the hell was he thinking about Nabiki?  To take his mind off 
that line of thought, he gulped down the remainder of his breakfast.

                   ******************************

Kasumi Ono moved through her morning workout at full speed, her eyes 
remaining closed as she reached out with her other senses to 'see' her 
surroundings.  Her graceful movements were a study in perfection of 
form, without the distraction of sight.  For over fifteen years, she 
had practiced such skills, to improve herself to ever greater levels 
and hone her body so that it could flawlessly move in any way she might 
require it to.

The sparring match with Nabiki over a week ago had shown Kasumi that 
she must have grown lax in her training, a potentially fatal error that 
would have earned her a severe dressing down from her mother when she 
had still been alive.  So, the eldest Tendo daughter had doubled her 
efforts, drilling herself every day since then to regain the ground she 
believed she had lost.  It also helped to keep her mind off of the 
other concerns in her life.

As her body flowed through the ancient patterns of attack and defense 
she had first learned as a child, Kasumi took a moment to allow her 
mind to recall the many lessons learned from her mother on the Way of 
the Warrior.  Her mother had instructed her, in a seemingly endless 
litany, that a warrior must be ready for combat at all times.  So her 
unexpected loss to her younger sister was a sign that she must have 
somehow been slacking in her efforts, and that was a grave insult to 
her mother's memory.

Opening her eyes, Kasumi was pleased to see that she had managed to 
successfully navigate the backyard of her home, bringing herself to the 
training dummies.  With a 'kiai' yell, she began striking hard at each 
of the two dummies in rapid succession, alternating punches with kicks.  
In the back of her mind, she intended to train until she felt she was 
ready to challenge Nabiki once again.  Having a goal like that provided 
her with a distraction to keep her mind off of her other worries of 
late, such as her mother-in-law's constant harping about grandchildren.

"It's not like I'm not trying to get pregnant," Kasumi mumbled under 
her breath.  After all, she had wanted to become a mother ever since 
she could remember, and she was certain that she would be a good one, 
just like her own mother had been with her.  Having a child around the 
house might also improve things between her and Tofu.

Kasumi paused in her activities as she thought about her husband.  He 
was a good man, kind, and he provided a nice home for her.  But there 
was something missing from her life with him, an emptiness within her 
soul that Tofu did not seem to fill.  She kept telling herself that she 
would come to love him in time, even though he had become more distant 
to her than before they had been married.  A tear came to her eye.  It 
was her fault.  She was failing him as a wife for not being pregnant 
yet.  A few more tears welled up in her eyes.

Kasumi's fists cracked into one training dummy, again and again.  It 
helped her forget her worries, and there was also something distinctly 
satisfying about having the ability to defend herself if she needed to. 
As she continued her training, sweat dampened her plain yellow gi.  She 
ignored the minor distraction, her mind struggling to focus on nothing, 
reaching for the bliss she used to feel when using her skills.  The 
more she strained, the farther away it was.

Then, one of her mother's old instruction suddenly came back to her, 
"Be, do not do."  Kasumi took a deep breath and let it out, allowing 
herself to simply be.

As she embraced that quiet, infinite potential within her, her cares 
faded from her awareness, and Kasumi broke out into a beatific smile.  
Her strikes increased in speed and precision.  Her other concerns about 
regaining her place as the best also faded away from her mind, even as 
she obliterated both training dummies.  She spun, leaped, and struck 
out at them with fist and foot repeatedly, feeling a little better.

                   ******************************

The newly-installed Headmaster of Furinkan Military Academy, Gendo 
Rokubungi, stood framed in the window of his office, looking down on 
the activities of the cadets below.  His hands were clasped behind his 
back as he unconsciously stood at parade rest.  He nodded as he studied 
his new charges, a slight smile of professional pride on his face.  He 
was looking forward to his new assignment with enthusiasm, to provide 
these cadets with a firm leadership that had been lacking since the 
retirement of the former Headmaster.

Gendo was also looking forward to renewing his pursuit of Yui Ikari, 
the love of his life.  It was true that they had not parted on the best 
of terms (and he planned a very slow death to whoever had given Yui 
those photos of him and another woman), but he was confident that he 
could charm his way back into her life.  She preferred the company of 
dangerous men, like many women did in his experience, and he could use 
that for his own plans.

It was also quite nice to spend time with Hinako Ninomiya, his favorite 
bed partner.  The busty and leggy Hinako possessed a torrential core of 
passionate sexuality buried beneath her surface, like nothing he had 
ever experienced before.  If his desires to have Yui Ikari's love were 
not so strong within him, he might have considered making a play for 
Hinako's.  But he knew a relationship with the woman would never work.  
Both of them were too strong-willed to make something like a marriage 
between them work.  No, what he had with Hinako was only a sharing of 
carnal pleasures, mutually enjoyable, but not a relationship.

Still, until Yui finally came to her senses and dropped the pathetic 
man she was seeing now, Gendo would use the beautiful Security Director 
to satisfy his physical needs.  She was using him for the same thing, 
so it was a most equitable arrangement between them.  But he made a 
mental note to get her some flowers.  Even a hard-nosed bitch like 
Hinako still had a softer, more feminine side securely hidden within 
her.  And such gestures on his part ensured continued access to her 
bedroom, which was all that concerned him when it came to her.

Looking downward at the cadets had caused his glasses to slip downwards 
a little bit, and his previous look was replaced with a grimace.  He 
was still unused to wearing them, but they were a necessity that he was 
determined to get used to.  He had evaded wearing such things for a 
number of years, interpreting their presence as a sure sign of physical 
weakness.  And there was also the matter of maintaining his accustomed 
air of quiet menace.  How could someone be intimidating while wearing a 
pair of glasses?  Since he got them, he had been practicing in front of 
his mirror at home, trying out different ways of adjusting his glasses 
to convey his moods.  He would get it right eventually.

There was a knock at the door; his next appointment from among the 
Academy's faculty was here.  Experience had shown him that it was a 
good idea to meet with one's subordinate officers one-on-one, to 
determine the best ways to motivate them.  He sat down in the large 
chair behind his desk and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his 
nose.

"Enter," said Gendo, and then waited for his next appointment to come 
in.  He smiled coldly for a moment.  This one promised to be fun.

Outside, his hand resting on the door handle as he composed himself, 
stood a somewhat nervous Lieutenant Yusaku Godai.  He had been assigned 
to Furinkan since the beginning of the current term, teaching Japanese 
Literature and Imperial History.  He enjoyed teaching, even though it 
could be difficult at times to hold some of the cadets interest in the 
coursework, since it involved non-combative activities.

The newest addition to his class, Akane Tendo, was a prime example of 
that sort of attitude.  If it didn’t involve fighting in some way, she 
was less than interested.  He wasn't looking forward to his first home 
visit to the Tendo household, but it was part of his duties as Akane's 
homeroom instructor.  He planned to make his trip there a brief one.

His calm restored, Yusaku opened the door to the Headmaster's office 
and walked in.  The room beyond was darkened, only the sunlight coming 
in through the window behind the new Headmaster affording any light.  
Even so, there was an air of shadowy menace in the room, and Godai 
stifled a quiver of fear before it could be noticed.  He marched the 
distance across the room to the desk and halted.  He snapped his hand 
up in a salute.

"Lieutenant Yusaku Godai, reporting as ordered, sir!" he snapped out, 
grateful that his voice had not cracked.  He held the pose as the new 
Headmaster eyed him for a moment or two.

Gendo stood up slowly, returned the salute, and reseated himself.  "At 
ease, Lieutenant," he said calmly.  "Have a seat."

"Yes, sir!" Yusaku snapped out, falling back on long-ingrained habits 
of discipline to hide his continuing nervousness.  He had heard the 
stories about the man behind this desk, a fast-rising star in the 
Empire's war machine.  Yusaku sat down in the chair next to him, and 
waited as the new Headmaster opened up his personal dossier and perused 
the contents.

"You have a good record, Lieutenant," said Gendo after several moments 
of paging through the file.  "And it seems that the cadets like you."

Yusaku blinked and said, "Uh, thank you, sir."  The compliment had 
caught him off guard.  Maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as he had 
feared.

"But the instructors here are not supposed to be liked," said Gendo 
coldly, raising his gaze and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his 
nose with one finger.  "They are meant to be respected, even feared."

Yusaku felt a chill go down his spine at that look.  "Y-yes, sir."

"Furinkan Military Academy exists for one reason only, Lieutenant," 
intoned Gendo solemnly.  "To turn undisciplined boys and girls into 
efficient fighting machines dedicated to serving the divine will of the 
Emperor.  Someday, they will fight, and quite possibly die, in order to 
fulfill that purpose."

"Yes, sir," replied Yusaku.

Gendo smiled coldly, and continued his lecture, saying, "Your teachings 
are as important to these cadets as those of their combat instructors.  
You have a noble purpose, Lieutenant, to instill within these cadets a 
sense of their glorious heritage.  Once, we were limited to a few small 
islands in the Pacific, and now our Empire covers much of the globe.  
The Japanese people have been given a divine calling.  It is our 
manifest destiny to extend the reach of the Emperor until every man, 
woman, and child on Earth submits to his will.  And it is that goal 
that you should retain in your mind as you instruct these cadets, for 
they are the ones who shall fulfill that destiny.  Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Yusaku replied, more crisply this time.

"Excellent," said Gendo, a cold smile appearing on his face.  "You are 
now dismissed, Lieutenant.  Please keep my words in mind in the days 
and months to come, and we should get along fine."

Yusaku leaped to his feet, almost levitating out of his chair.  He 
snapped off a quick salute, which Gendo returned more sedately, and 
then he left the room.

Alone again, Gendo turned his chair to face the window again.  The 
muted sounds of the cadets drifted up from below, and he allowed 
himself to smile a bit more broadly.  This was only the beginning.

                   ******************************

Akane Tendo warmed up while she waited for Sakura to show up for their 
scheduled duel, stretching out every muscle in her body.  She was in a 
small clearing past some trees bordering one side of Furinkan's campus.  
Sakura had told her that it was one of several that members of the 
Combat Club used for their duels, reserved for more private fights.

The youngest Tendo was wearing a matching outfit composed of a pair of  
blue short pants and a white T-shirt, both emblazoned with Furinkan 
Academy's emblem.  It was one of several that Kyoko had picked up for 
her.  A pair of white socks and blue athletic shoes completed her 
ensemble.

The morning air felt brisk on the exposed skin of her arms and legs as 
she went through her preparations for the upcoming fight.  She was 
going to give it her all against the other girl, proving her strength 
to Sakura Kasugano.  Akane flexed her hands as she moved her limbs 
about her body, folding them into tight fists and then releasing them 
back open, the tightly-packed musculature on her frame readying itself 
for her needs.

Akane had already added a few maneuvers to her repertoire from watching 
her older sister in action, and she was eager to learn more.  Nabiki 
fought with incredible skill now, a level of martial arts talent that 
Akane had never known her older sister to have, and she hungered to 
possess such skill for herself.  But that was a mission for another 
day.  She had something more immediate to focus on now.

The youngest Tendo was looking forward to today's match, to finally 
overcoming the last obstacle preventing her membership in Furinkan's 
Combat Club.  The last of her injuries, incurred during her visit to 
Ohtori Academy, were now healed.  Akane felt herself to be in prime 
fighting shape as she drove her hands and feet through the air, her 
body answering to her commands with ease.

The distinctive sounds of a fight drifted to her ears, causing Akane to 
pause in her activities.  She turned around for several moments, trying 
to locate the source of the clamor.  It was not far away, she decided, 
already heading towards it at a lope to see what was going on.  She 
still had a few minutes until Sakura was scheduled to arrive, so she 
could spare a few minutes to watch.

Akane halted when she came within sight of the commotion.  It was a 
fight taking place in one of the nearby clearing, two teenaged boys 
battling each other.  She goggled briefly at the sight, then quickly 
hid herself and began to watch.  One combatant was obviously getting 
the worst of it from his opponent, a muscular adolescent with an unruly 
shock of black hair, held out of his eyes by a khaki-colored bandana.  
He wore camouflage-style pants and a Furinkan Academy T-shirt.  Both 
his taughtly-muscled build and his fighting skill quickly drew Akane's 
attention.  She closely studied the trimly-built boy with interest, 
analyzing his combat ability.  She licked suddenly dry lips as she 
watched the fight continue.

"What are you doing?" suddenly hissed a voice behind Akane's ear.

"What-" Akane started to ask in surprise, before she was roughly 
grabbed and held fast against a tree, a hand clamped tightly over her 
mouth.  She struggled for a moment against the figure holding onto her 
before she realized that it was Sakura.  The other girl was dressed in 
a highly-modified version of a Furinkan girl's fuku-style uniform: a 
pleated, blue, knee-length skirt, a white, short-sleeved top that left 
her midriff bare, yellow neck scarf, and a red, high-collared sports 
bra.  She looked angry with Akane, which surprised the youngest Tendo.

The sounds of the boys' fight did not pause, and Sakura breathed out a 
brief sigh of relief.  She risked a quick glance around the tree and 
then turned her attention back to Akane, releasing her tight grip on 
the other girl's mouth and gesturing for her to follow.  The pair 
slipped away quietly, Akane following along behind a grim-faced Sakura.

When they got back to the other clearing, Akane turned to Sakura and 
asked, "So what's the big idea?  Who was that?"

"That was the Captain of Furinkan's Combat Club," replied Sakura 
calmly.  "And it was a private duel that you almost interrupted.  I 
couldn't let you disturb Ryu-senpai."  Her voice lost its usual cool 
military manner when she spoke the name, and she blushed for a brief 
moment as she quickly corrected herself.  "Er, I mean, Kumon-san."

"He's a good fighter," noted Akane, looking back the way they came with 
a hint of longing in her gaze.

Sakura definitely did not like the look that Akane had on her face.  
"Kumon-san only fights the best.  That fight was to help prepare him 
for his upcoming exhibition match in the Arena.  Besides," she paused, 
looking Akane over, "you aren't good enough to challenge him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" snapped Akane.  She paused, a look of 
puzzlement suddenly coming over her face.  "Exhibition match?"

"Never mind," said Sakura, a hint of irritation in her voice.  She 
stepped a pace away from Akane and calmed herself.  Anger had no place 
in a test of combat skill.  "My sensei once told me that one never 
truly masters the martial arts, that there is always something new to 
learn."  She suddenly took up a stance, and a light breeze caused the 
tips of the long white bandana holding back her hair to flutter.  "So, 
Akane Tendo, do you have anything to teach me?"

Akane narrowed her gaze at the other girl and a predatory smile came 
across her face as she took up her own stance.  Her hands tightened 
into fists, her knuckles cracking.

"Let's find out, Kasugano," said Akane.  "Allow me to instruct you."

Without any further words, the two girls charged each other, launching 
into a furious display of martial arts skill.

                   ******************************

The early morning weather was cool as Nodoka Saotome emerged from the 
subway station and eyed the place selected by Kenseiko for their duel.  
She inhaled, enjoying the faint tang in the air from the thunderstorm 
that had just passed through the city before dawn.  A cloth bag slung 
over her shoulder contained her bokken.  Her outfit was functional for 
a fight, though more mannish than she usually enjoyed wearing nowadays.  
She had discovered it in the back of her closet and was pleased to see 
that it still fit, if a little snugly when she had first tried it on.  
That was easily enough fixed with some sewing though.

Nodoka was wearing the traditional garb of a kendo fighter, complete 
with black, hakama-style pants and a loose-sleeved shirt in teal.  Her 
feet were shod in soft leather boots that came up to her shins, also in 
black, for she didn't like to fight wearing sandals.  She felt twenty 
years younger to be wearing this outfit, even if it had garnered a few 
odd looks during her trek over here.

Her destination was a small park that had been her favorite dueling 
ground years ago.  It was out of the way of regular foot traffic, 
surrounded by tall trees that gave it a sense of being cut off from the 
world, like a small piece of an ancient forest somehow transplanted 
into the center of Nerima.  She imagined that it was still used for 
that purpose by the younger fighters in the area, to settle their 
differences in the traditional way of the warrior.

As she walked through the trees, the sounds of the city became hushed 
and distant.  Nodoka smiled as her boots thudded softly against the 
packed loam, caught up in memories of her past.  She missed those 
glorious days, when life had been simpler for her in many ways.  Now 
she was a wife and mother, and those days of battles and adventures 
seemed so far away.

Nodoka emerged from the trees and saw Kenseiko waiting for her, the 
other woman's face a mask of cold regard when they spotted each other.  
She walked the remaining distance to the noblewoman, unzipping her bag 
and removing her weapon as she did so.  She tossed it aside and stopped 
two paces from Kenseiko.

"You're punctual," said Kenseiko calmly.  "I like that in an opponent."

"I'm here, as you requested," replied Nodoka.  Not interested in making 
small talk, she took up a ready stance and waited.

Kenseiko sneered slightly, regarding Nodoka's stance, and said, "For 
one who purports herself to be a bushi, and a follower of the old ways 
of honor, you have little sense of drama, my old enemy."  She studied 
Nodoka for a moment.  "You should not have come back into my life."

"I'm here to fight, not listen to you," growled Nodoka, feeling her old 
angers for the other woman rising up to the surface.  "Nice to see that 
some things haven't changed about you, Kenseiko."  For a moment, she 
smiled and then said, "A shame that the same thing can't be said about 
your hips."  That sort of remark had always goaded the other woman into 
making stupid mistakes when they were younger, and Nodoka hoped to end 
this quick.

Kenseiko's nostrils flared, but she held her temper, barely.  However, 
there was a snarl in her voice when she spoke next.  "When we last met, 
I was still much the novice."  She brandished her warfans dramatically 
for a moment.  "Now, I am a master.  Prepare to fall before my might, 
Nodoka Saotome."

Nodoka yawned broadly.  It was as if the last twenty years had never 
happened, and Kenseiko was still trying to talk her to death.  At least 
Kodachi didn't seem to be nearly as pompous as her mother was.

"Less talk, more action," taunted Nodoka, shifting her feet slightly.

"DIE!" screamed Kenseiko, unable to maintain her calm any longer.  She 
rushed at Nodoka, attacking in a fury.

Nodoka ducked and evaded the other woman's attacks, and quick parries 
with her bokken completed her defenses.  Kenseiko had gotten better, 
Nodoka had to give her that, but so had she.  The pompous, ponytailed 
young noblewoman who had once bedeviled her youth was still very much 
alive in the mature woman trying to defeat her now.  Some things never 
changed.

Their weapons clashed as the two women struggled for dominance, fierce 
looks now present on both faces.  Nodoka quickly spotted the opening 
that Kenseiko always left open on her left side, a weakness in her 
technique.  Nodoka chuckled in her thoughts as she launched an attack 
at the opening-

-and was abruptly blocked.

Taking swift advantage of her foe's surprise, Kenseiko earned first 
blood, a slash by one of her warfans opening a thin cut across Nodoka's 
neck, just above her shoulder.  It was swiftly followed up by a reverse 
spin kick that slammed into Nodoka's side.  Watching her foe staggered 
by the blows, the noblewoman felt almost blissful.  This was how it 
should have been years ago.  She took a moment to savor the sight of 
her enemy's pain.

Nodoka shrugged off the aches of the wounds she had just received, 
having been hurt much worse in her youth and still won.  She surged 
forward and slammed one of Kenseiko's arms aside with a quick strike of 
her weapon and used the brief opening in her defenses to slash upwards 
across the other woman's body with her wooden blade.  The savage strike 
left a fiery red welt running from her gut to her throat, but Kenseiko 
recovered much too quickly for Nodoka to press her advantage, forcing 
her to back off with lightning-fast swipes of her warfans.

Nodoka and Kenseiko circled, each one eyeing the other woman with more 
respect.

"You have improved, Kenseiko," admitted Nodoka reluctantly, briefly 
touching the wet spot on her neck.  Her hand came away sticky with 
blood, and she absently wiped it off on her shirt.  "But I'm still 
going to beat you."

Despite the pains of her injuries, Nodoka was surprised by how much she 
was relishing this battle.  Her sparring matches with Achika had lost 
the fierce edge they had once had in their youth, replaced with a less 
intense form of rivalry that didn't stir the soul like how she felt 
now.  Forgotten passions within her heart were rekindling now, and she 
smiled.

"Come and try, if you dare," taunted Kenseiko, adrenaline letting her 
ignore the ache in her ribs.  The blood was singing in her veins now, 
and she could not remember the last time she had felt so alive.  Not 
even a lover's embrace could replace what she was now feeling, the 
glorious exultation of combat.  She was a warrior, like generations of 
her ancestors had been before her, and she was locked in savage battle 
with her oldest, fiercest rival.  Winning no longer mattered to her, 
only prolonging the fight and savoring the passions flowing though her.

The two women came together in a clash of arms, dancing to a symphony 
that only they could hear.  They had never before fought so fiercely, 
and their skill and strength had never been as evenly matched as it was 
now.  It was glorious and exhilarating, testing themselves to their 
limits.

Nodoka backed off after several minutes of furious fighting went by, 
astounded that the noblewoman's skills had gotten so much better over 
the years.  Sweat dripped from her brow, falling to the grassy earth at 
her feet.  She shifted her grip on her weapon, her eyes analyzing 
Kenseiko's stance for the slightest weaknesses.  She still had a number 
of tricks left to try.  She had never lost to this woman before, and 
she was not about to lose now.

Kenseiko circled around, studying Nodoka as the other woman shifted the 
position of her feet and her grip on the bokken held in her hands.  She 
panted a bit, attempting to replenish her strength, while she made a 
mental note to thank her husband for his assistance in her training.  
The look on Nodoka's face had been priceless when she finally realized 
she had been tricked.  Victory was within her grasp.  She only had to 
reach out and take it.

"You fight well, old foe," grunted Kenseiko with a modicum of respect.

Nodoka nodded and replied, "You too."  Her vision blurred for a moment, 
and she shook her head to clear her eyes.  She suddenly felt a slight 
queasiness come over her.

Kenseiko noted the sudden weakness appear in Nodoka's stance and darted 
forward.  Her knee drove upwards into the other woman's belly, and she 
was startled when Nodoka abruptly crumpled to the ground, retching up 
her breakfast.  Kenseiko held off striking the finishing blow due to 
her shock at the ease of her enemy's fall.  This was not how it was 
supposed to happen.  This was too quick.  She was being robbed of her 
rightful enjoyment of her conquest!  Suspecting some sort of a devious 
trick on Nodoka's part, she roughly nudged her with a foot, but her old 
enemy only moaned softly.

"Nodoka!" hissed Kenseiko, nudging her with a foot again.  "Get up!  I 
won't be cheated of my satisfaction like this!"

Nodoka hardly stirred.  Cursing under her breath at the unfairness of 
life, Kenseiko kicked her foe's weapon aside, not even token resistance 
showing on the fallen woman's part.  She warily knelt down and set her 
warfans behind her, but still left them near enough to grab quickly 
just in case she needed them after all.  Nodoka moaned rather piteously 
as the noblewoman lifted her head, the cut on her neck oozing a little 
blood.  She barely responded, even when Kenseiko began slapping her 
across the face.

"Nodoka!  Curse you, woman!  Wake up!"  Kenseiko's hand left red marks 
on Nodoka's cheeks, but she did not stir.  Despite knowing that she was 
probably going to regret her next actions, Kenseiko gently put her arms 
underneath her fallen enemy, struggled a bit, and then finally lifted 
Nodoka from the ground into a fireman's carry.

"It appears that I'm not the only one who has gained a few kilos over 
the last twenty years," Kenseiko grumbled.  Staggering at first from 
carrying the limp mass of Nodoka's unconscious body, the noblewoman 
quickly adjusted to the load.  Continuing to grumble under her breath 
at the indignity of her situation, as well as the unfairness of being 
forced to carry a woman to find medical aid that she loathed with all 
her soul, Kenseiko Kuno marched into the trees towards where her 
chauffeur-driven car waited.  This was not the outcome she had in mind 
when she woke up this morning, and it was all Nodoka's fault, the 
weakling.

                   ******************************

"You're pretty good," noted Akane, panting slightly as she circled her 
opponent.

"So are you," acknowledged Sakura, watching the other girl closely.

Sakura was proving to be a very challenging match for Akane, but she 
was really enjoying the intense struggle.  The other girl was an 
incredible fighter, as a fair number of injuries on Akane's body could 
attest, but she was not about to give up.  It was all going to come 
down to whoever wanted the win more, and Akane knew that was going to 
be her.

One of Sakura's cheeks was bruised, and she had some serious contusions 
in other places, but she was nowhere near defeated.  This was what she 
lived for, to strengthen her fighting abilities, and battling against 
strong opponents was the only way for her to do that.  She was the 
strongest female fighter among the ranks of Furinkan's Combat Club, as 
well as being the second-best overall, next to the boy she had secretly 
admired from afar for some time now.

Sakura had been holding back her full might, to test how good the other 
girl really was without ending the fight too quickly, but now it was 
time to end the charade.  She began raising her chi, feeling it flowing 
into her from her surroundings and down into her hands.  Only another 
few moments and this battle was going to be over.  She was a little 
disappointed, but she had never really doubted her eventual victory.

"It was a nice try, Akane Tendo," Sakura remarked, her voice sounding 
almost regretful.  The energy built to a peak within her.  "But I'm 
going to win.  I'm afraid you just don't have the strength to take me 
down.  SHO-O-KEN!"

Akane went wide-eyed as Sakura launched herself at her, winding back a 
fist that was suddenly glowing with cerulean light.  Desperate, Akane 
raised her arms up in an attempt to block, but she failed to deflect 
the blow.  Sakura's "Cherry Blossom Fist" impacted into her.  There was 
a brief flash as the energy of the strike surged into Akane's body, 
lifting her completely off her feet and blasting her backwards into a 
tree and unconsciousness.

"YES!" shouted a victorious Sakura as she landed on her feet, studying 
Akane's fallen body with a brief grin, before the emotional rush began 
to fade.  Akane Tendo had been the first girl able to come close to 
challenging her fighting skills in nearly a year, but she had ended up 
beaten like the others.  But, then again, even most of the boys in the 
Combat Club weren't capable of giving her much of a challenge.  It was 
a shame really.  Sakura knew that she would never be able to get any 
stronger unless she could battle against much better opponents.

That was what had drawn her to Akane in the first place, for she had 
sensed a kindred spirit within her.  And she had been amazed at how 
quickly the other girl won her first two challenges, giving her hope 
that Akane could really give her fighting skills a real test.  However, 
when push came to shove, Akane Tendo had not been the opponent she was 
searching for, a strong rival to walk with to higher levels of martial 
arts mastery.  It was a disappointing discovery to make, and it looked 
like it was going to be her and Kumon-san reigning undefeated among the 
local martial artist populace for the foreseeable future.

Sakura moved towards Akane's fallen form and knelt down next to her.  
She carefully checked over the other girl's injuries, pleased that her 
skills had been good enough to leave Akane with nothing worse than some 
scrapes and bruises.  Satisfied that Akane was not badly injured, she 
picked the unconscious girl up and headed off in the direction of the 
infirmary.

                   ******************************

After an unknown amount of time, Akane snapped awake and immediately 
wished she hadn't.  Her body ached all over.  Even though no bones 
seemed to be broken, she could not remember ever feeling as beaten up 
as she was now.

"Welcome back, Akane," said Sakura with a smile.  "How do you feel?"

"Hurt," Akane grumbled.  She patted the bandages around her ribs.  "I 
guess I lost."

"But you gave it a good try," said Sakura cheerfully.  "I'm sure that 
you'll be able to get into the Combat Club when you fight one of the 
other members."

Akane studied the other girl for a moment, then said, "But I want to 
fight you again.  A rematch."

"No," said Sakura, shaking her head.  "I've seen what you have to offer 
me now.  You aren't the challenge I'm looking for."

Akane growled at the slight.  So, her skills weren't good enough?

"Don't take it so hard, Akane," said Sakura.  "We can still be friends, 
right?"  She held out her hand.

Akane swatted it aside.  "Don't make fun of me."

"I'm not making fun of you, Akane," said Sakura more seriously.  "I 
honestly do like you, and I still want to be friends.  You've got a lot 
of potential, and I'd like to help you bring it out."  She held out her 
hand again.

Akane studied the offered hand for a moment.  She genuinely liked the 
other girl, even now.  Friends had always been few and far between for 
her, and here was someone who could help her get better.  If she got 
better, then she would stand a better chance of dealing with any 
challenges to her desires for Ranma Saotome.  That decided it for her.  
To be able to stand at Ranma's side, she would do anything.  The depths 
of her passion for him would sustain her through any efforts needed.  
She took Sakura's hand in a firm grip and shook it.

"Okay," said Akane, looking Sakura squarely in the eyes.  "Help me get 
better."

                   ******************************

"Get up, Kodachi," said Nabiki with a smirk.  "You aren't much of a 
challenge, but I need the practice."

Knocked down to her knees during their latest sparring match, Kodachi 
growled softly at the mocking remark.  The sheer impudence of the Tendo 
girl was infuriating, but it also spurred Kodachi to get back onto her 
feet.  She was a Kuno, and Nabiki Tendo would someday learn to respect 
that if Kodachi had her way.  And she planned to do just that, just as 
soon as she fully regained her senses.

Nabiki suddenly tumbled backwards gracefully, when Kodachi launched a 
new assault before she had fully risen to her feet.  The kick breezed 
by Nabiki's face by a fair margin, the blow dodged before she had even 
been fully aware of it coming.  She grinned as she rolled back to her 
feet, letting herself move as instinct directed her, her reflexes alone 
guiding her body as she ducked and weaved around Kodachi's attacks with 
an almost casual ease.

Coach Takami watched the latest exchange with interest.  He could see 
that Nabiki was dictating the flow of the match on her own terms, and 
the smirk on her face was a sign that she was enjoying every moment of 
it.  The Kuno girl was getting frustrated, especially since it was 
pretty obvious that Nabiki wasn't taking her very seriously.

Sitting next to the coach, Ranma studied Nabiki's technique closely.  
She had improved while he was involved in his own training, especially 
her speed.  His overall ability was better than when last they faced 
off against each other, but so was Nabiki's.  And the smirk on her face 
was as much as a promise that there was another match coming up between 
them.  Well, that was fine with him.  Unlike his wimpish counterpart 
from the world Nabiki's skills came from, he had no problems treating a 
girl as an opponent.  Take the other version of himself, from the world 
where Shampoo was cursed to turn male when wet, he treated the Amazon 
as a serious opponent.

Then there was also the matter of returning that other world's version 
of Genma Saotome and getting his own father back.  That was his next 
priority, and Nabiki would just have to wait until he finished with 
that.  When his father was restored to his proper life, then Ranma 
would cheerfully kick Nabiki's ass all over Nerima, no matter what 
improvements to her technique she may have made.  He was Ranma Saotome, 
and he was the best.

However, those concerns were for the future, and he would deal with 
them as they came.  At least for today, all he had to worry about was 
dealing with Utena.

                   ******************************

"I wonder what he's like."

Saionji Kyoichi only grunted in response to his companion's statement, 
and grimaced as he attempted to flex his hand within the cast.  He 
cursed the fates for bringing him to his current state, but most of all 
he cursed the one who had done this to him.  Him!  Saionji Kyoichi!  
Now he couldn't even hold a sword until it healed.  He was going to 
find the little bitch who had done this to him and make her suffer.  Oh 
yes, how she would suffer.

"You haven't been paying attention to a thing I've said, but I can fix 
that."

Pain suddenly lanced up Saionji's arm when his companion reached out 
and slammed her palm down on the back of his hand.  For the second time 
in a single week, his cry of tortured pain echoed across the length and 
breadth of Ohtori's campus.  He turned hate-filled eyes upon the young 
woman seated next to him on the highest balcony on the Tower of Roses, 
her red hair blowing backwards gently in the wind.

Juri Arisugawa merely raised one eyebrow in response to the glare she 
was receiving.  She brushed her fingers across the front of her white 
uniform, the picture of total nonchalance.  Annoying Saionji always 
made for a pleasant way to spend time.

"He must be quite inspiring, even in defeat," Juri observed.  "Whoever 
this Ranma Saotome fellow is, he certainly made an impression on our 
Tenjou-san."

"Indeed," noted Toga Kiryu, stepping forward and posing majestically 
next to the railing.  The shapes of roses were etched into the metal of 
the railing's bars, as they were into the chairs that Juri and Saionji 
were seated upon.  "Perhaps his visit will be as interesting as the 
others were."

Juri took a sip of her tea before speaking.  "Perhaps.  But, be that as 
it may, it will be rather interesting to see what manner of man he is."  
Glancing once at her two companions, she observed, "There are so few 
real men in this world."  Despite the physical attraction she felt for 
her two companions, she despised their personalities.  Saionji was a 
swaggering bully, and Toga was an arrogant playboy.  Her parents had 
once suggested engaging her to Toga, but she had quickly shot that idea 
down.  She wanted a man who would be faithful to her alone, since she 
should be woman enough for any man's needs.

Hearing her words, now it was Toga's turn to raise an eyebrow, but he 
refused to be baited by Juri.

Saionji was not so composed, and he asked, "Just what did you mean by 
that?"

"Why, nothing, Kyoichi-kun," said Juri.  She patted his injured hand.  
"Although, if you feel at all slighted by my comments, you may seek 
satisfaction in the usual manner."  Her hand gripped his once more, a 
warning gesture from a dangerous woman.  After a moment, she let go and 
smiled.  "When you are healed, that is."

Saionji grimaced angrily at her taunting of his present state.  In his 
rage, he made a fist and slammed it down on the table.  There was a 
soft cracking sound from within his cast, and a blank look crossed his 
face as the pain quickly made itself known.

The other two members of Ohtori's Student Council winced slightly at 
the bellow of pain that emerged from Saionji.  They exchanged a look as 
the green-haired youth cradled his broken hand and cursed.

Today was already promising to be an interesting day.

                   ******************************

The Ministry of Health boasted of having the largest and best-equipped 
hospital in all the Empire, and its doctors were the finest to be found 
anywhere.  So it was there that Kenseiko Kuno brought Nodoka Saotome 
for treatment, grumbling all the way.  Nodoka's unconscious form kept 
falling over to rest against Kenseiko's shoulder, and being that close 
to her mortal enemy was making her feel twitchy.  So upon reaching the 
Ministry, she quickly opened the door and got out, waiting impatiently 
as her chauffeur picked up the limp Nodoka.

When the man had Nodoka in hand, Kenseiko turned and swept past him, 
striding towards the front door of the Ministry.  The chauffeur 
followed along behind her, the woman in his charge held in his arms 
like a sleeping child.  They made quite a sight, Nodoka and Kenseiko 
both blood-spattered, as they marched the length of the distance 
towards the main entrance to the Ministry's hospital.

The doors slid open and the trio entered.  There were only a few people 
present at this early hour: a couple of security guards, a nurse, and a 
tall man that appeared to be a doctor or administrator.  Kenseiko went 
up to him promptly, her body posture in her most imperious mode.

"You," Kenseiko snapped out, addressing herself to the man in the white 
coat.  "Are you a doctor?"

Tofu Ono, who had just been getting a cup of tea from the nurse before 
making his morning rounds, turned around and adjusted his glasses.  He 
eyed the blood-spattered figure standing arrogantly before him for a 
moment, the unconscious woman being carried in the uniformed man's arms 
also being noted out of the corner of his vision.

"I'm a doctor," Tofu replied.  "What seems to be-"

"This woman is Nodoka Saotome, and she requires treatment," Kenseiko 
said crisply.  "See to it."  She snapped her fingers, pointed at him, 
and her chauffeur very promptly dumped Nodoka into a startled Tofu's 
arms.  "Know this, physician.  I am Kenseiko Kuno, wife to Lord Daisho 
Kuno, and I command you to find what ails this woman and treat it."  
She then folded her arms and gave Tofu her most commanding glare, 
looking every inch the part of a high noble of the Empire at that 
moment.

Tofu hesitated for only a moment, before quickly summoning an orderly 
and a nurse to assist him.  Together, they placed Nodoka onto a gurney 
and swept her away to one of the examining rooms, leaving Kenseiko and 
her chauffeur behind.

Kenseiko, seeing that her orders were being carried out with adequate 
promptness, strode over to the nurse at the main desk.  She eyed the 
girl haughtily for a moment.

"I will require a comfortable room to wait in while that woman is being 
treated," Kenseiko snapped out.  "Make it so."

"I'm sorry, but this is most irregular-" began the nurse, but a cold 
glare from Kenseiko froze her voice.

Kenseiko said, slowly and clearly, radiating menace, "You will do as I 
bid.  Now."

While the nurse hurried to comply with a stern-looking Kenseiko's 
demands, Tofu began examining Nodoka, who had already begun to wake.

"What?  Where?" said Nodoka, shocked to find herself in a strange room 
somewhere.  She struggled to sit up.

"Take it easy," said Tofu soothingly, gently but firmly holding Nodoka 
down so that he could continue examining her.  The cut on her neck was 
superficial, but it was still going to require treatment to prevent 
infection.  "You're at the Ministry of Health, Saotome-san.  Can you 
tell me what the last thing you remember was?"

"I was fighting," said Nodoka, feeling Tofu prod at her torso.  "I felt 
dizzy all of a sudden, then the woman I was fighting with hit me, and 
then nothing."  She winced when he poked at the injury in her side, and 
tried not to squirm as he quickly found every other one on her torso.

I lost, Nodoka finally realized, staring up at the strange ceiling.  I 
lost to that blue-blooded witch!

"Please remove your shirt, so I can treat that cut on your shoulder and 
deal with the bruise on your ribs," said Tofu in his best professional 
voice.  He waited as Nodoka complied, noting clinically from his visual 
inspection of the bruise on her side that it was not as bad as he had 
feared.

Nodoka was almost in a state of shock.  Nobody had ever beaten her in a 
fight so badly when she was younger.  Had age finally finished her as a 
warrior?  No.  She just had to retrain and prepare herself to retake 
her position of supremacy.  She had always been better than any of her 
old rivals, and she still was.

Tofu worked quickly, his fingers thrusting against shiatsu pressure 
points, easing Nodoka's pain and greatly enhancing her body's healing 
abilities.  He cleaned the cut and sealed it with a strip of synthetic 
skin, which held the wound closed, almost as if she had never been cut.  
The strip would fall off in a couple of days, leaving her fully healed.  
He also noted clinically that she was in excellent shape for her age, 
aside from her present injuries.

"I'm going to need to take some blood now," said Tofu, pulling out a 
syringe.

"Uh, that's quite all right," said Nodoka, snapping her out of her 
shock.  She eyed the slender length of surgical steel.  She had never 
liked them.

"It's procedure," explained Tofu, quickly tying a length of surgical 
tubing around her arm.  "We'll need to do a blood work-up to see what 
might be wrong with you."

Nodoka shook her head and pulled her arm back, or at least she tried 
to.  The doctor seemed to have her limb pinned in a painless joint lock 
of some sort, and she absently realized that he had to be a martial 
artist of skill to do so with her.  She turned her head away when the 
needle was buried into her arm, a brief pain that faded as he filled 
the syringe with her blood.

"There now," said Tofu soothingly, untying the surgical tubing and 
putting a bandage against the puncture.  "All done.  I'll send this 
down to the lab."  As if by magic, a nurse appeared and took the tray 
with the syringe.

Nodoka held her arm and nodded.  "Thank you, Doctor."

Tofu smiled at her and left with the nurse.  Nodoka put her shirt back 
on, reclined back, and closed her eyes.

"So, are you still alive, old foe?" suddenly came Kenseiko's voice, 
having entered the room shortly after Tofu and the nurse departed.

Nodoka growled as she snapped her eyes back open.  "Come to gloat?"

"Why Nodoka-chan, my oldest and dearest rival," replied Kenseiko with a 
smile.  "Would I do such a thing?"

"What do you want, Kenseiko?" asked Nodoka through gritted teeth.

Kenseiko, noting the expression on Nodoka's face, decided to up the 
ante a bit and said, "I'm feeling magnanimous after my victory."  She 
saw a twitching in Nodoka's jaw muscle begin.  "Age has apparently 
taken its toll on your skills, a sign of your obvious inferiority when 
compared to a woman of my own incomparable breeding."  There was now a 
vein pulsing in Nodoka's temple.  "So I'm calling a temporary truce and 
allowing you time to try and recover what the years have cost you."

Nodoka blinked.

"Farewell now," said Kenseiko with a smile.  She then swept back out of 
the room in grand fashion.

"What?" Nodoka muttered.  She hopped off the bed, felt her knees wobble 
a bit for a few moments, and then she stomped to the door.  A quick 
inquiry, before the nurses hustled her back into her room, showed that 
the arrogant noblewoman had left the building.  Nodoka felt her teeth 
grind at the thought that Kenseiko had one-upped her with those parting 
remarks.  She gazed into the mirror for a time, studying her profile 
intently, flexing her arms and studying her muscle tone.  She was _not_ 
old.  A blue light surrounded her for a moment as she pictured their 
next battle.

"Kenseiko," grumbled Nodoka.  "Just wait until next time."

                   ******************************

A melange of conversations swirled around the front courtyard of the 
Academy from cadets chatting with each other before heading home for 
the day.  Most of them were formulating plans concerning what they 
would do with the remainder of the weekend.  The girls were gathered 
together in small clusters, some giggling about having been asked out 
by this or that boy, and others discussing upcoming tests or the latest 
gossip.  Groups of boys were gathered together as well, talking about 
girls and sports, and making plans to go out and have fun during this 
brief time of freedom.

Kyosuke Kasuga tuned out the voices of his classmates as he walked 
alongside his girlfriend, Yohko Mano, and their mutual friend, the 
redheaded Ghost Sweeper, Minami.  The two young women were happily 
chattering away, but he was not paying attention, being pre-occupied 
with other thoughts.  In only a little over a week, the two girls had 
become good friends, and he was happy to see them getting along.  But 
he was a little bit surprised too, as different as they were.  Minami 
could display a rather abrasive and overbearing personality at times, 
and she hungered for the spotlight.  On the other hand, Yohko was 
generally more demure in her bearing, and her life was built around 
living up to her mother's example as a Devil Hunter.

They were two very different girls, like two others he had come to know 
better in the last week, Madoka Ayukawa and Hikaru Hiyama.  Somehow, 
through some odd quirk of Esper powers, he had exchanged physical 
places with another Earth's version of himself.  It had been a very 
eye-opening experience, and he was still getting used to the fact that 
he was back, that the bed he had woken up in this morning was his own.  
During his time here, his counterpart had managed to patch things up 
with Yohko, a far cry from how things had been before.  That made his 
life quite a bit easier.

Kyosuke adjusted the weight of the bookbag slung over his shoulder and 
considered the life of his counterpart.  Such a different world that 
other Kyosuke lived in.  His own training in undercover work had 
enabled him to blend in while he studied that other life, and dealing 
with his analog's family had been most educational.  He had finally 
managed to return with the aid of his analog's grandfather, but it left 
him with some interesting memories of his visit to that world, ones 
that he would not soon forget.  And it also made him re-evaluate his 
own feelings about Yohko Mano.

When he had first seen pictures of the Devil Hunter, he had been almost 
spellbound by her loveliness.  Her body was well-built, with everything 
that a young man could desire in a girl, and her facial features were 
equally pleasing.  But his initial ardor had cooled somewhat after he 
began reading through the reports on the unpleasant fates of Yohko's 
last four boyfriends.  Two had been possessed, one died, and the fourth 
had seen something that drove his mind over the brink of sanity.  So it 
was with some admitted trepidation that he had first approached Yohko.

However, their first date had been a surprise.  Nothing supernatural 
had occurred throughout the entire evening, and talking with her had 
left him with an impression of an intelligent mind behind her comely 
exterior.  Later dates had brought him face to face with the realities 
of Yohko's life as a Devil Hunter, but his Institute training and his 
Esper powers allowed him to deal with them.  But, over the past several 
weeks, what had begun as an assignment was now something more, and that 
left him feeling confused.  And his problems did not end there.

When Madoka Ayukawa (having learned her name from his analog's sisters) 
had caught his attention during a date with Yohko, he had seen first-
hand just how jealous a certain Devil Hunter could become where he was 
concerned.  It had not been an enjoyable experience at all, the angry 
hurt in her gaze being far worse than anything physical she might have 
done to him.  But he had felt drawn to the biker girl for some unknown 
reason.  His visit to that other world had deepened his confusion, and 
he wondered if he had only been perceiving a subconscious echo of the 
feelings from other versions of himself dealing with other versions of 
Madoka.  With Esper powers involved, who knew what was possible?

Upon his return home two nights ago, he had voluntarily submitted 
himself to a full debriefing at the Mobius Institute concerning this 
strange experience, as per regulations.  His grandfather, Director 
Kasuga, had personally debriefed him, telepathically scanning him, 
sensing the very faint lingerings of his own analog's powers.  Only his 
mother and his grandfather knew the truth, and the entire matter was 
now placed under Institute seal.

It was just as well.  Who could he talk to about such a thing?  Yohko 
was not part of the Institute, and it would likely just complicate his 
relationship with her now that it was back on track.  No.  There was no 
one on the planet who could understand what he had just been through.

"Kasuga-san.  I was wondering if I could speak with you briefly."

Kyosuke, his musings about the lovely Devil Hunter interrupted, turned 
his head to see who had addressed him.  Over by one of the trees near 
the main gate stood Ranma Saotome, Nabiki Tendo's boyfriend according 
to what he had heard from Yohko lately.  He nodded to the Science cadet 
politely.

Minami paused in her conversation with Yohko to send a withering glance 
at the pigtailed boy.  When it was ignored, it only further incensed 
her.  She sniffed lightly and turned her gaze from him.

Yohko nodded a greeting to Ranma, which was politely returned by him.  
There was an interesting dynamic building up between Nabiki and Ranma 
lately, and the secret romantic in Yohko found it quite fascinating to 
observe her best friend and the pigtailed boy, like something out of a 
girl's comic.
 
"Saotome-san," Kyosuke greeted the other boy.  "What can I do for you?"

"I had a couple of questions I was hoping you could answer for me," 
said Ranma quietly as he walked over.  He stopped within a single pace 
of Kyosuke, sparing the two girls a glance, and his voice lowered even 
further in tone.  "About Espers and their abilities."

Intrigued, Kyosuke responded, "What sort of questions?"

"Can an Esper with telekinetic powers use them without realizing it?" 
Ranma asked without preamble.  "And can that be detected by another 
Esper?"

Kyosuke thought about it for a moment before responding, "Yes, to both 
questions.  Why do you wish to know, Saotome-san?"

Ranma looked around.  His gaze briefly met Nabiki Tendo's and paused 
for a few moments before moving on, Ranma nodding to her during the 
brief time that their gazes were locked, receiving one in return.  He 
observed that Nabiki was holding court at her usual place, catching up 
on how her business interests were doing and listening to the reports 
of her associates.  She was too far away to hear anything.  Ranma 
turned around as he thrust his hands in his pockets.  No one else 
seemed to be paying much attention to them, and he slowly turned back 
to face Kyosuke.

"I have a rematch coming up against Ohtori's champion," said Ranma in a 
more conversational tone, satisfied that no one was eavesdropping on 
them.  "The last time I faced her, an Esper interfered, but I was told 
it was not done consciously."

Kyosuke was surprised, to say the least.  Interfering in such a matter 
was against Institute regulations, outside of any assigned mission 
parameters.  He glanced at Minami, and he could tell that she was as 
startled by this as he was.

"That's terrible," said Yohko sincerely.  Ranma had suffered a measure 
of public humiliation over his rapid loss to the Tenjou girl, and she 
suddenly saw a way that she could help him, especially since he was 
practically Nabiki's boyfriend now.  Besides, her school pride was also 
involved.  She turned to Kyosuke.  "Kasuga-kun, I want you to accompany 
Saotome-san to Ohtori."

"What?" Kyosuke asked, blinking for several moments at this sudden turn 
of events.  "But we have a date tonight."

"Please?" Yohko asked, unleashing the full power of her soft-eyed gaze 
at him.  She upped the ante by stepping closer and brushing her index 
finger up and down his chest.  "For me?  I promise to make this evening 
special if you do."

Minami made subtle gagging noises behind Yohko, and Ranma stared at the 
scene, fortunately having only caught the edge of the effect.

Kyosuke's words of resistance vanished before they could be voiced, in 
the face of Yohko's fawn-like gaze looking up at him.  He swallowed 
down a suddenly dry throat and nodded mindlessly.

"That's my Kasuga-kun," said Yohko with a smile.  "I want you to keep 
an eye on Ranma while he's visiting Ohtori.  Make sure that nothing 
happens to either of you two, okay?"

Kyosuke nodded again.

Yohko gave Kyosuke a hug, and she whispered, "I'll be waiting for you 
upon your return."  She then stepped back, and the two girls walked 
away.

"I guess you're coming to Ohtori with me," commented Ranma dryly.  He 
was grateful that he was made of sterner stuff when it came to girls.  
No woman was going to wrap Ranma Saotome around her little finger like 
the Devil Hunter had just done to the Esper boy.  The pair headed off 
to retrieve Ranma's bag from the locker room.

Hidden in a nearby tree, Ayako Mitsui regarded her chosen prey as he 
walked away.  Even though she looked identical to her pathetic cousin 
Yohko, this boy had refused her advances.  Why?  Seducing him should 
have been easy, a fun way to drive a knife into Yohko's heart, but he 
had somehow known she wasn't his precious girlfriend, perhaps due to 
his Esper abilities.  And his refusal had somehow backfired the whole 
matter upon her, leaving her deeply envious of her cousin for having 
such a loyal boyfriend.

However, she wasn't prepared to abandon Kyosuke yet.  No, not just yet.

                   ******************************

Ryoga paused to wipe the sweat from his face onto his sleeve, and then 
adjusted the weight of his backpack.  He was wandering around another 
mountain, and grumbling under his breath when he finally realized he 
had lost the road somewhere.  Again.  Life was just so unfair.  All he 
wanted to do was to find Ukyo Kuonji, beat the smug ninja boy to within 
an inch of his life, and then return home.  Instead, here he was, still 
tramping around Japan, lost and unable to even find Tokyo, let alone 
that accursed Ukyo.  Sleeping on the hard ground every night was really 
getting old fast, and having had nothing to eat for two days, his rice 
supply finally gone, had only added to his misery.

Thinking about food caused Ryoga's stomach to rumble, increasing his 
fury.  Vengeance drove him now.  Ukyo was going to suffer for this.  
That is, as soon as he was found.

"Where the hell am I now?!" Ryoga shouted out loud, but there was no 
reply to his question.  It was around noon, and here he was, starving 
to death in this wilderness.  Glaring about at the unhelpful trees 
around him, he pulled out the tattered map of Japan a farmer had given 
him and studied it intently.  He turned it first one way, and then 
another, before sighing once and putting it away.  The anger deep 
inside him had been burning white-hot for days now, and he was growing 
to savor the anticipation for when he could finally unleash it in all 
its glorious fury.

When, not if, he found that wretched Ukyo Kuonji, he was going to break 
the ninja boy into numerous little pieces and then stomp all the pieces 
flat.  After all, his troubles were all Ukyo's fault.  Ryoga shivered 
with rage at the memories of their last few meetings, feeling attracted 
to another boy.  He very quickly turned away from that horrible line of 
thought, redirecting it towards a more personally acceptable one.

"Do you hear me, Kuonji?!" Ryoga suddenly shouted up at the heavens.  
"How dare you do this to me!  This is all your fault!  Just you wait!  
I'm going to kill you for this!  I swear I will!"

There was no answer but a shifting of the breeze in the trees.  Ryoga 
lowered the fist he had been brandishing at the heavens, just as his 
nose caught a trace of a tantalizing odor.

Roasted chicken.

Ryoga's stomach growled at the scent, his mouth watering.  He took a 
hesitant step forward, fearful of going the wrong way.  He could still 
smell chicken, so he took another step.  The mild breeze threatened to 
shift, so he threw caution to the winds, and plunged into a headlong 
dash in the direction he hoped the smell was coming from.  He knew his 
luck was finally changing.  Perhaps whoever it was roasting a chicken 
out here could even help him find Tokyo.  And Ukyo.

Heavy branches smashed Ryoga across the face as he ran through the 
trees, but their feeble blows were meaningless.  The scent of chicken 
was growing stronger, and so he kept following his nose.  He quickly 
accelerated his pace, crashing through the dense forest at full speed.  
More branches tried to impede him, but he ignored them, intent upon 
finding the source of that delicious smell.

After several minutes of running, Ryoga broke clear of the trees, and 
his inertia carried him right off the edge of a cliff.  His fading 
words carried back into the trees.

"Curse you, Ukyoooooo...."

                   ******************************

"Ahh!  I'm late!"

Even as the cry of dismay left her lips, Ukyo came bursting into her 
aunt's restaurant at a dead run, her arms laden with shopping bags.  
She could not believe that it was already so late in the morning, and 
that shopping for her uniforms could have taken her so long.  Luckily, 
since this was the middle of the term, there had been a terrific sale 
on them at the local department store, and she had picked up an entire 
week's worth of outfits for school.  It had used up all the money from 
her parents, but she was all set for classes on Monday.

Yumi watched Ukyo blast by her, the older ninja's ponytail wafting to 
one side in the breeze kicked up in the wake of her niece's passage, 
the girl leaving a trail of dust behind herself.  She smiled at Ukyo's 
retreating back as it vanished up the stairs to the small apartment she 
now shared with the girl, and she began cooking up some lunch for her.  
Her niece had been so excited by the opportunity to attend school where 
her fiancé was going.  It was nice to see her so happy.

Ukyo opened the door to her room quickly, tossed the bags on the floor, 
and slammed it shut again.  She sprinted to the weapons closet, having 
left her large battle spatula behind while she went shopping.  Carrying 
around a polearm made it difficult to blend into a crowd, and it was 
harder to get good service while heavily-armed.  She pulled her weapons 
out of the closet, slipping her bandoleer of throwing spatulas on.  She 
was heading into enemy territory today.

Yumi's ponytail wafted over to the opposite side when Ukyo went tearing 
by her again, heading out the door at full speed.  The girl did not 
even break stride as she snatched up the delivery box, laden with 
several okonomiyaki.

"Bye, Aunt Yumiiiiiiii...." came Ukyo's fading farewell.

Yumi Kuonji shook her head.  Ah, to be young again.  Having the girl 
around was like reliving her own youth, and she chuckled as she got the 
shop ready for the lunch crowd.

                   ******************************

There was a tremendous splash of water when a man-sized missile ended 
its descent trajectory only a few feet away from the shore.  The impact 
generated an impressive volume of water from the lake, and hurled it 
across the distance separating it from dry land, soaking down a nearby 
campsite.

Ryoga surfaced at the edge of the small lake that had broken his fall, 
struggling with the weight of his pack in the water, to see two girls 
staring at him.  His head hurt, apparently from the blow it had taken 
when his skull hit a submerged boulder, and he was now seeing double.  
He blinked.  The girl (girls?) had soaked clothes on.  Seeing what the 
cold water had done to the clothes and the body (bodies?) beneath them, 
he felt a surge of blood in his nose.  When the iron skillet hit him 
squarely in the face, it was a mercy blow, and he passed out.

Glaring intently at the fallen boy, who had been pervertedly staring at 
her chest before her well-aimed throw had ended that, was a teenaged 
girl named Ryoko Masaki.  Before the lake water soaked her down, she 
had been dressed in loose garb of heavy cottons, but the outfit was now 
clinging to every curve on her body.  She stood there in disgust, her 
hands brushing futilely at her blue-green hair, feeling the algae from 
the lake water clinging to it.  She glared at Ryoga some more.  When 
she finally gave up on that, seeing his body half-drifting in the water 
before her, she waded in and began to haul him out with a weary sigh.  
With any luck, judging by the way he had been staring at her endowments 
through her soaked clothes, he wouldn't remember seeing anything odd.

After a while, Ryoga groggily returned to consciousness.  The last few 
things he remembered had been nearly drowning, then seeing some sort of 
water spirit with blue-green hair.  Then, nothing.  His clothes felt a 
bit chilled, and he heard them squish when he moved around.  However, 
to someone who had once spent most of an entire day standing beneath a 
waterfall composed of snowmelt as part of his training, damp clothing 
was nothing.

"I see you're alive," said a female voice.  It was difficult to tell if 
it was relieved or annoyed.

Ryoga's eyes snapped open.  He glanced around and saw that same girl 
with the odd-colored hair, dressed in dry clothes this time as she 
pulled a brush through her blue-green tresses.  He started to sit up, 
wondering if he was hallucinating.  Women did not have hair that color.

"W-where am I?" Ryoga asked, glancing around to see where his pack was.  
He relaxed a little when he saw it.

"You're not far from the Masaki Shrine, just outside the village of 
Kurashiki," said Ryoko, continuing to brush her hair.  Seeing the blank 
look on the boy's face, she added, "We're about twenty kilometers or so 
from Okayama."

"Is that near Tokyo?" asked Ryoga hopefully.

Ryoko stared at Ryoga, uncertain if he was putting her on.  Nobody 
could be that ignorant of basic geography, could they?

"No, we're about six-hundred-and-fifty kilometers from Tokyo," Ryoko 
replied after shrugging her shoulders.  Perhaps he was still feeling 
stunned by the two blows to his head.  Pounding out the large dent in 
her iron skillet that the strange boy's head had left in it was not a 
task she was looking forward to.  "Now, who are you?"

"I'm Ryoga Hibiki," he said with a nod of his head.  "Sorry about 
dropping in on you like this."  He put his hand behind his head and 
chuckled nervously.

"I'm Ryoko, Ryoko Masaki," she said in reply.  "Now, give me one good 
reason why I shouldn't pound you into mush for getting me and my camp 
all wet, not to mention staring at me like you did."  She folded her 
arms across her chest.

Ryoga stammered, "I-I'm sorry.  I fell off the cliff up there.  It was 
all an accident.  Honest."

"Are you lost or something?" asked Ryoko, unfolding her arms.  She 
stood up and went over to tend the fire, grimacing at the remains of 
her lunch and mentally debating what she would fix to replace it.  She 
was starting to feel sorry for the guy, and smirked when she realized 
it.  Maybe it was because he reminded her of her brother during one of 
his more hapless moments.

"I-I'm looking for someone," Ryoga said.  Inside, he cursed himself for 
sounding like some sort of an idiot.  He knew exactly what his problem 
was, that he was talking to a girl, a pretty one.  Girls had always 
been so difficult for him to talk to, even back at his home village, 
especially the good-looking ones.  Guys were easier for him to relate 
to.  He could talk to a guy without any troubles, so why not a girl?

"Well, you found someone."  Ryoko tossed the remnants of her ruined 
meal away.  "You hungry, Hibiki?  I guess a little company for lunch 
would be all right."  She decided to forgive him for staring at her 
chest.

Ryoga's stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly.  "Uh..."  He looked 
embarrassed.

"I guess that answers that," said Ryoko with a grin.  She shoved a pot 
into his hands.  "Fill that with some water from the jug."  She pointed 
at the small purifier unit behind him.  "I'll build up the fire and 
cook us some stew."

"Th-thank you."  Ryoga quickly moved to fill the pot with water and 
handed it to Ryoko.  "I've been living on nothing but rice gruel, nuts, 
and berries for days.  But I ran out of rice two days ago."

"Whoever it is you're looking for must be pretty important to you," 
said Ryoko as she knelt to place sticks on the fire.  She plopped down 
on a flat rock when she was done and looked at him.  "So, what's the 
story?"

"Not much."  Ryoga stared for a moment at the flickering flame.  "It 
just involves a man-to-man fight."

"And this person is in Tokyo?"  Ryoko glanced at the pot suspended over 
the fire.  She dropped a few chunks of beef into the water and added 
some spices.

"Yeah, and his name is Ukyo," said Ryoga with a hint of a growl in his 
voice.  "I need to find him."

Ryoko nodded and said, "Well, I'm heading back to Tokyo tomorrow.  You 
can come along with me for the trip."

"Really?" Ryoga said hopefully, not daring to believe his good fortune.

"Yeah," said Ryoko with a nod.  "I don't have the money for a train 
ticket, so I was planning on walking and hitchhiking.  I figure it 
should take about a week unless we get lucky and someone can take us 
the whole way."

A week, Ryoga mused.  Soon, his quest would be ended.

"Anyway," said Ryoko suddenly.  "I suggest you change out of those wet 
clothes.  The nights get cold out here, and you smell like bogwater."

"Uh, sure," said Ryoga.  He reached out and grabbed his pack, grateful 
that it was waterproofed.  He started to get up, then fear filled him.  
What if he couldn't find his way back after changing his clothes?  The 
woods seemed to be mocking him with their trackless depths.

Ryoko looked up from tending the stew.  "What's the matter, Hibiki?"

"I-I have this little problem."

Ryoko sat back on her haunches and regarded him.  Then she snapped her 
fingers.  "You're from Kikaitani?, right?"

Startled, Ryoga nodded.

"I thought the name was familiar," said Ryoko with a grin.  "One of the 
Wandering Ones in my camp.  How about that?"

"It's not funny," muttered Ryoga.  Ukyo had often made fun of him too, 
but at least the other boy had always made sure that he got back to the 
guide rope that would take him home.

"Sorry."  Ryoko shook her head and stood up.  She reached out and took 
Ryoga by the hand and tugged him to follow after her.  She led him off 
a distance into the trees, but near enough to still see the camp.

Ryoga felt like he was floating.  A girl was touching him.  He stumbled 
along behind the young woman with odd-colored hair, his thoughts in a 
slight fog.  When they stopped, he almost ran into her.

"Change your clothes here, and then call out my name," ordered Ryoko.  
"I'll be back to come get you and lead you to camp.  Don't take too 
long and don't move from this spot."

"S-sure thing," murmured Ryoga.  He watched Ryoko head back to her 
camp.  When he was alone again, he shook his head.  He needed to focus 
on finding Ukyo.  After the ninja boy was beaten, then he could think 
about other things.

He's sure a pathetic sort, Ryoko thought with a smile.  Cute too, in a 
silly sort of way, like a puppy that eagerly wanted to please.  With a 
snort, she settled down and stirred the bubbling stew, adding some 
dried vegetables from her supplies.

                   ******************************

The journey to Ohtori was an uncomfortable affair for Ranma, since he 
was riding in the back seat between Kodachi and Nabiki.  Kyosuke was 
sitting up front with Fuyutsuki, and Ranma envied him.  Sitting back 
here between two unpredictable young women was making the pigtailed boy 
feel very nervous.  Kyosuke did not know how easy he had it, with only 
having one girl to worry about.  In an idle moment during the trip, 
Ranma mentally slapped himself once again for his foolish coveting of 
his analog's life with girls competing for him.  He should have been 
wiser and learned a lesson from it instead.

At least Ukyo was absent, mused Ranma.  The trip to Ohtori with all 
three girls present would have been "Asking For It."

While hiding in the trunk, Ukyo wondered for the umpteenth time why she 
was sneaking around like this, but she realized it was force of habit.  
She looked on it as doing reconnaissance.  After all, she had observed 
two of the same girls she had encountered at Ohtori hanging around 
Ranma, much too close to him as far as Ukyo was concerned.  But she 
would fix that easily enough in a couple of days.  After all, Ranma was 
now her fiancé, and no soft, city-bred girl was going to steal him from 
her.  Still, Ukyo was almost hoping that there would be a fight, not 
that either girl looked like much of a challenge to a ninja of her 
capabilities.

Kodachi, quietly seated on Ranma's right, was half-lost in one of her 
usual romantic fantasies about a certain pigtailed boy, brought on by 
his physical proximity.  Her body almost seemed to hum with energy, and 
she felt tempted to just throw herself on top of Ranma and satisfy the 
carnal desires that were bubbling up from deep within her.  But a lady 
did not do such shameless things in public, she kept reminding herself.  
There was also the very unpleasant matter of Nabiki Tendo's presence 
cooling her ardor a bit.

The young noblewoman's gaze watched the city streets passing by as she 
let her mind drift.  She sat demurely, occasionally glancing at Ranma, 
her hands resting folded in her lap.  The only sign of her mental state 
was the twisted length of her embroidered handkerchief, held tightly in 
her grip.

Nabiki, seated on Ranma's left, was also staring out the window.  There 
was an undercurrent of excitement running through her, an equal mixture 
of anticipation for battle and desires for the boy seated next to her.
Her right hand unconsciously folded into a fist and relaxed back open 
in an uneven tempo, and her thoughts skipped back and forth between 
Ranma and the growing number of rivals for his attentions, such as 
Utena Tenjou.

The pink-haired cross-dresser was going to be told, in very definite 
terms, to stay away from Ranma Saotome after today.  Then Nabiki would 
be magnanimous and allow Ranma a few days to rest up before Nabiki 
issued her own challenge to him.  She could hardly wait to show him the 
fruits of her training for the past week, when she would prove to Ranma 
Saotome that she was the better fighter, and that she always would be.

Ranma kept alternating his attention between the two girls, struggling 
to keep his mind focussed on his upcoming match and failing.  He could 
feel their body heat against his sides, and he smelled a very delicate 
fragrance hovering in the air.  It was making him feel edgy.  And his 
resonator-acquired memories were not any help in this situation, unless 
perhaps a fight broke out in the car.

Tingles like biochemical sheet lightning kept surging up and down the 
nerves of Ranma's sides.  It was quite distracting, especially when his 
hearing also detected an occasional, almost inaudible sigh coming from 
either Kodachi or Nabiki.  So, for a time, he kept his hands in his lap 
to hide the evidence of his body's more obvious responses to the input 
that kept assailing his senses.  Eventually, he managed to control his 
raging libido, forcing his mind to focus on the upcoming fight by sheer 
willpower.

Fuyutsuki kept glancing into the rearview mirror with a slight sense of 
nervousness.  There was a strong undercurrent of sexual tension going 
on in the back seat that you could almost cut with a sword.  All of the 
players involved in the little drama seemed to be ignoring each other, 
nor even talking amongst themselves, but it was still there.  He hoped 
that Ranma could maintain his focus on today's goal despite his present 
distractions.  Defeating Utena Tenjou was all that mattered today.

Kyosuke spent the entire car ride with a slight grin on his face, his 
thoughts on Yohko.

                   ******************************

"They're here."

Utena Tenjou glanced up at Miki Kaoru, the boy having just arrived with 
his news.  She watched him thumb the button on his stopwatch and glance 
at the time.

"They're four minutes early," said Miki.  "If we hurry, we can make it 
to the front steps in time to greet them."

Utena smiled, nodded, and stood up.  As she did so, she tugged slightly 
on the front of her uniform jacket.  Classes had been finished for over 
an hour, and she had been occupying herself with her homework, trying 
very hard not to think about her opponent.  But her studies were a poor 
distraction from musing about a certain blue-eyed boy, and the clarity 
in his gaze.  Maybe after the match was over, she could console Ranma 
over the loss she would give him by treating him to dinner.  She also 
owed him repayment for the dinner she had received at the Saotome's 
residence the night of their first match.

"Let's go, Miki," she said with a smile, heading out of the library 
with her gym bag in hand.  She strolled along at an even step, the pace 
of her coltish legs unhurried.

As she walked, two other members of the Student Council emerged from a 
side hallway to join her, Juri and Toga.  She exchanged a nod with each 
of them, and they solemnly fell into place a single stride behind her 
and Miki.  The sound of their combined footsteps echoed outwards into 
the distance of the marbled halls of Ohtori, even as the sun sparkled 
on the floors and picked out the rose imagery that was an integral part 
of this place.

The front doors swept aside as Utena straight-armed them open, and she 
smiled broadly to see Anthy waiting for her on the front steps with the 
headmaster of Ohtori Academy.  The pair greeted Utena and the three 
members of the Student Council who accompanied her with a nod, Anthy 
smiling brightly at them all.

"Now we shall see what manner of man is this Ranma Saotome," muttered 
Toga softly, loudly enough that only Juri could have possibly heard 
him.  But if she did, she gave no sign.

                   ******************************

As the car carrying Ranma passed through the open gates to Ohtori, a 
stealthy figure slipped out of the trunk and re-secured it, clinging 
for a moment to the rear bumper.  At the proper instant, the figure 
landed to one side of the road with a tuck and roll, swiftly vanishing 
into concealment behind some shrubbery.  In a moment, the figure was 
back up and moving, and it began flitting from shadow to shadow with 
uncanny skill.

Nabiki watched the sun sparkling off the waters of the nearby bay as 
the car wended its way clockwise up the path circling the hill that 
Ohtori stood upon.  There was a no-nonsense expression on her face.  
Today she was finally going to meet Utena Tenjou face-to-face, the girl 
who had spent the night at Ranma's house, the girl who had seduced her 
fiancé.  Her hand tightened into a fist at that thought, a cold feeling 
of rage coming over her.  Utena was no better than a common thief.

Ranma kept glancing out the windows on both sides of the car, impressed 
by what he could see of Ohtori's arrangement.  Gothic architecture was 
mixed with elements of the Western Renaissance, creating a facility for 
learning that was as much a cathedral as it was a school.  Roses were 
an integral part, and it combined with the architectural styling to awe 
Ranma with its beauty.

Kyosuke felt a whisper of something cross his senses as the car began 
ascending the hill, an odd energy of some sort.  It tingled upon his 
awareness like the hint of ozone after a lightning storm.  He felt it 
again, a few more times, as the vehicle looped around.  Curious, he 
cast his senses outward, regretting that using the Power in such a way 
was not his forte.  In his mind's eye, he saw the currents of power 
that flowed through Ohtori's demesne.

Several of these lines of energy converged here.  Kyosuke recalled from 
his classes at the Institute that they were known as Geomantic Flows, 
what the ancients called Chi Lines.  The odd architecture of Ohtori was 
somehow enhancing the flows, giving the place very powerful feng shui.  
Nerima was also particularly rich in such flow lines and juncture 
nodes, partly why the Mobius Institute had been built near one edge of 
it, where a Shinto Temple had once stood.  It was a rather intriguing 
discovery to make, and Kyosuke realized that it might also explain why 
an Institute cadet was here.

Kodachi broke free of her imaginings as the car came to a halt, and she 
smiled when she spotted Miki waiting amid the small group on the steps.  
He looked quite handsome in his uniform, almost sparkling in the light 
of the sun.  She blinked, and the effect was gone.

"I want you all on your best behavior, cadets," warned Fuyutsuki.  "I 
know you won't disappoint me.  Right?"

"No, sir," replied all four cadets quickly.

Fuyutsuki smiled for a moment, and then said, "Excellent."  He opened 
the door and got out, a signal that the rest of them could exit the 
vehicle as well.

Miki spotted Kodachi emerging from the car, and he smiled.  He gave the 
others with the noblewoman a brief once-over, and then his gaze quickly 
returned to Kodachi.  He wished he had known she would be coming with 
the Imperial Academy's champion.  He was glad to see that she was fully 
recovered from her ordeal, standing proud beneath the sun, her bearing 
marking her as nobility as much as her beauty did.  His breath caught 
for a moment, but no one else noticed.

Toga caught sight of Nabiki when she came out of the car, but the only 
sign of his interest was the gleam that suddenly appeared in his gaze.  
He was pleasantly surprised to see her, feeling confident that she had 
intentionally come here to meet him again.  She walked around from the 
far side of the car, and Toga's gaze took in everything about her with 
great interest.  Even the confident manner in her walk was appealing to 
witness.  She came to a halt next to one of the two boys who came with 
her, presumably the Imperial Academy's champion, Ranma.  The other one 
was wearing a Mobius Institute pin, so that could not be him.

Juri eyed both Ranma and Nabiki.  She could see the subtle signs that 
marked them both as being highly-skilled fighters in the way they 
moved.  She was looking forward to watching today's match between Ranma 
and Utena.  After all, a fight between two equally-skilled opponents 
was a creation of beauty to be appreciated, like an ephemeral work of 
art.

Utena's eyes locked onto Ranma the moment he became visible.  He was 
just as handsome as the last time she saw him, when she had kissed him 
goodbye in the train station.  Her cheeks suddenly felt warm, and she 
coughed into her fist to hide that unexpected response to seeing the 
pigtailed boy.  Besides, he was here to challenge her, and she fully 
intended to send him home in defeat, along with her telephone number.

Anthy glimpsed a familiar face exiting the vehicle, with a Mobius 
Institute pin on his collar that was identical to her own, and she was 
pleased to see her old senpai.  She somehow managed to smile even 
brighter.

The two groups spent several moments eyeing each other, and Kodachi was 
oddly reminded of two rival gangs sizing each other up before engaging 
in a battle over turf.  It was a disconcerting thought, and she felt 
Sukeban-Kodachi briefly rise within her before subsiding once again.
 
The two headmasters broke the brief impasse, stepping forward to meet 
each other between the two groups.  They bowed to each other.

"Thank you for agreeing to a rematch," said Fuyutsuki sincerely.

"Your boy is a glutton for punishment," replied Fuji with a slight 
twinkle in his eye.  "I've had Utena in intensive training this week, 
just in case.  She'll put him down even faster than she did before."

Fuyutsuki's gaze narrowed, ever so slightly.  "We shall see.  Won't we, 
old friend?"

"Yes," said Fuji as he turned back briefly and gave a fond glance at 
Utena.  He turned back and finished, "We will."

The two groups approached each other, intermixing as introductions were 
exchanged.  Miki immediately stepped over to greet Kodachi and talk 
with her, earning him Ranma's attention.  An unpleasant feeling came 
over the pigtailed boy as he watched Kodachi smiling at Miki's words, 
and he resisted an unexpected urge to push himself between them.  A 
similar emotional response came over him when Toga came over to Nabiki, 
like an ache in his chest.  He couldn't be jealous, could he?  But, how 
did the two girls know these guys?  And the two Ohtori cadets were much 
too suave and self-assured for Ranma's liking, reminding him of his own 
weaknesses when it came to dealing with girls.  And what was that one 
jerk doing to Nabiki?

"Hello, Saotome-kun," said a female voice.

Ranma's head whipped around to see who had spoken to him, after having 
just watched Toga take Nabiki's hand and brush his lips against her 
knuckles.  He saw Utena standing right in front of him, her blue eyes 
bright as she smiled at him, her long, pink hair flowing softly in the 
breeze.  Seeing her, Ranma realized that he could play the same game 
that Kodachi and Nabiki were.  He smiled back at Utena and bowed in 
greeting.

"Hello, Tenjou-san," said Ranma pleasantly, but the tone of his voice 
belied the formality of his greeting.

Nabiki and Kodachi both heard Ranma's voice speaking another girl's 
name with subtle fondness, and they were briefly distracted from their 
own conversations.

Kodachi fought down the hurt feeling welling up inside her by taking 
Miki by the arm, trying to use the subtle play of pleasant sensations 
his nearness to her generated to drown out the ache in her heart.  How 
dare Ranma Saotome act so... so friendly with that wretched tramp?  
That pink-haired harridan was to be his opponent, not his date to a 
social event!  She would show him!

"Will you be my escort to where the match is being held, Kaoru-kun?" 
Kodachi asked coquettishly.  She resisted an urge to stick her tongue 
out at Ranma and the vile creature he was with.  That would not have 
been ladylike.

Nabiki's thoughts were running in similar patterns, as she gazed at the 
smiling girl standing near Ranma.  Her insides churned with hurt and 
anger, but she held any sign of her true feelings from her face with 
the consummate skills of an actress.  Instead, she offered Toga her arm 
and asked with a smile, "Interested in escorting me, Kiryu-san?"

Both girls swept by Ranma without looking at him, leaving him standing 
with Utena and a smirking Juri, who had been enjoying the show.  Anthy 
and Kyosuke had already left, the two Institute cadets having departed 
without being noticed.

"Your friends?" asked Utena, eyeing the two girls who had just gone by 
her.  There was something about them that struck a dissonant chord deep 
within her.

"Something like that," Ranma muttered, wondering why he felt as he did.  
Neither girl was his fiancée, so why did he feel so possessive of them?  
His feelings towards his two classmates confused him, especially when 
he was standing here with a pretty girl like Utena.  "Uh, how've you 
been?"

Utena could tell that Ranma seemed nervous, and it helped ease her own 
sudden case of shyness.  He was different from the boys at Ohtori, with 
a thoughtfulness about him that reminded her of gentle Miki, but also a 
strength that was appealing.  "I'm well, Saotome-kun."

Juri pursed her lips slightly to keep from breaking out into laughter.  
This Ranma Saotome was an amusing sort, and so typical in many ways of 
others of his gender.  She turned and followed the foursome that had 
just left, shaking her head at the shy duo behind her.

Fuji and Fuyutsuki watched Ranma and Utena talking with interest.  They 
stood far enough away to prevent their presence from interfering, but 
near enough to observe and comment quietly with each other.

"Fascinating," murmured Fuji, watching the two children out of the 
corner of his eye.

"You had something like this in mind from the beginning," replied 
Fuyutsuki in quiet tones.  "Seeing how two of the strongest Alphas 
would interact, if they were of opposite genders."

Fuji continued to subtly watch the couple as he replied, "Yes.  Quite 
interesting, isn't it?  And think of the children they could produce 
with each other."

"I think Nabiki and some of the other girls in my group might object to 
that notion," commented Fuyutsuki dryly.  He had not missed the dark 
looks that Nabiki had given the Tenjou girl.

From the concealment of a nearby shadow, Ukyo watched Utena and Ranma 
together.  Her teeth ground together as she saw the pink-haired floozy 
take Ranma in hand and lead him inside, acting far too familiarly with 
him for the ninja girl's tastes.  The two older men followed in after 
the couple, and Ukyo snuck in right behind them.

                   ******************************

The elevator bell dinged when the car reached the top floor, and the 
doors opened.  Ranma turned around at the sound, having spent the brief 
ride watching the ground drop away beneath him, the tinted glass of the 
elevator's exterior wall giving an impressive view.  He walked out with 
Utena at his side.

Releasing her hold on the bottom of the elevator car, Ukyo swung her 
body to a nearby handhold.  Over ten stories of empty space yawned 
beneath her as she clung to the wall.  She glanced down between her 
feet and briefly marveled at the height, feeling a thrill as she 
flirted with death.  But she was here to watch over her fiancé, not 
sightsee, so she reached up, grasped a firm handhold on one of the rose 
sculptures, and pulled herself upwards.

"This is a special place, Saotome-kun," said Utena as she tugged on 
Ranma's arm.  "I just know we'll have a thrilling match here."

Ranma's gaze swept the room, located in the highest tower on the 
campus, and he was impressed.  Circular in design, the room was large 
and clear of obstacles, ideal for a straight-up fight.  Very detailed 
sculptures of stone roses ran the entire length of the chamber, where 
the walls and ceilings merged.  Large windows on one side were designed 
to let in the morning sun, but shadows were already beginning to deepen 
in corners since the sun was now on the opposite side of the tower.  It 
gave the room an ominous air that startled Ranma.

However, perhaps the foreboding feeling was due to the two young women 
who were gazing at him with matching expressions as he emerged from the 
elevator.  Both Nabiki and Kodachi had paused in their conversations 
with their escorts, and the not-quite glaring look in their eyes made 
him feel a little nervous.  But, a moment later, they relented and 
returned their attentions to the two Ohtori cadets, presenting their 
impromptu escorts with fresh smiles on their faces that somehow made 
Ranma feel even worse than dealing with the iciest glares they could 
have offered him.

"There is a small changing room over there, Saotome-san," Fuji said as 
he pointed to one of the shadowed corners.  "Utena, you might as well 
begin warming up while he changes."

Utena nodded, the smile gone from her face as it assumed a more serious 
expression.  She removed her jacket, revealing a plain white T-shirt 
beneath that did very little to hide her lithely feminine frame.  The 
form-fitting red shorts she normally wore as part of her uniform showed 
off her coltish legs to good effect.

Both Kodachi and Nabiki sized up the competition out of the corner of 
their eyes, without missing a beat in their conversations, and they 
were both a bit dismayed.  While slender, Utena's body was rounded in 
all the right places to catch a boy's fancy, and athletically muscled 
beneath her curves.  That she was also a powerful fighter in her own 
right was not forgotten by either girl.

Ukyo had managed to work her way around the outside of the tower until 
she finally found a vantage point that would allow her to see inside.  
She lifted her body up by her fingers as she felt around for a firm 
toehold, the muscles in her shoulders straining only slightly.  Her 
grandfather had made her climb cliffs with her pack completely filled 
with rocks, so this was nothing.

Having secured a toehold, Ukyo raised herself up to peek in through a 
lower corner of the window, pressing her face against the glass to see.  
She studied Utena going through a kata out in the middle of the floor, 
and she saw the other two girls who had come with Ranma standing with 
some cadets from Ohtori.  She also saw the redheaded bitch who had 
tried to kill her.  She owed that one some serious payback in the near 
future, ninja style.

Kyosuke stood next to Anthy, the two of them conversing with each other 
mentally.  Luckily, Anthy had a small measure of telepathy, otherwise 
they would have been forced to talk like mute-minded normals.

Anthy, I'm going to be watching over you during the match, Kyosuke told 
the girl telepathically.  You know that Mobius Institute regulations 
forbid the use of the Power to interfere in such things.

Yes, Kasuga-senpai, Anthy thought back solemnly.  She looked a bit 
downcast.

Cheer up, Anthy, Kyosuke thought.  I'm sure it was just an accident, 
but the Institute does have a reputation to uphold.  Here, link your 
Power to mine, he thought as he held out a hand.  That should prevent 
any accidental usages while I'm monitoring you.

Anthy took Kyosuke's hand, and there was a brief, faint glow of light 
that surrounded them both as his Power synchronized with hers.  Kyosuke 
was a bit in awe as he felt the level of Power within the girl.  He 
also felt a faint echo of the girl's thoughts resonating in his mind, 
as she also felt his in hers.  It was a level of intimacy that he 
regretted being unable to share with Yohko, but it was also a honeyed 
trap.  The Mobius Institute had stories of telepaths losing their 
individualities forever in the bliss of melded Power.  Luckily, with 
Anthy's own telepathic abilities being almost as weak as Kyosuke's, 
they would not be able to maintain the merge for long enough to be 
dangerous, but it should last a sufficient time to ensure that the 
fight between Ranma and Utena was honest.

Ranma emerged from the changing room after a handful of minutes, now 
dressed in his fighting clothes, a red Chinese-style shirt and black gi 
pants.  He saw Utena still warming up, and his gaze seemed to study her 
backside of its own accord.  A slight smile appeared on his face.

He's a dead man when we get home, Nabiki swore in her thoughts.  That 
other Ranma never gave her analog such troubles.  He was a loyal and 
true fiancé, not a philandering jerk like this one.  Her right hand 
closed tightly into a fist at her side as she felt a soft ache form in 
her chest.  After she defeated this Ranma, she would lay down the law 
between them as to how things were going to be from now on.  He was her 
fiancé, and it was past time that she let him in on that little secret.

Kodachi frowned at the sight of Ranma eyeing the man-stealing hussy, 
but it only firmed her resolve to win his heart.  She glanced at the 
boy standing next to her, and a flash of memory unexpectedly assailed 
her, of Sukeban-Kodachi being played like an instrument of intimate 
pleasures by another Miki Kaoru.  She quivered for a brief moment as 
she regained control of herself.  Miki was just a friend.  Yes, she had 
to keep telling herself that.

Ukyo almost lost her grip on the wall when Ranma began warming up, an 
unexpected heat rising to her cheeks as she watched him stretch out.  
She pressed her face tighter to the glass, grateful that no one was 
standing in front of her chosen vantage point.  She smiled as she 
watched her fiancé limber up, rooting for him in her thoughts, as she 
studied every move he made intently.

"Let us begin, you two," said Fuji.  He stepped to the center of the 
room, Ranma and Utena on either side.  "You know the rules.  No time 
limit and no breaks.  This continues until one of you is knocked 
unconscious or is unable to keep fighting.  Understood?"

"Yes," the pair said, almost as one voice.

Fuji stepped back, and the match began.

Ranma allowed Utena to go on the offensive first, testing the strengths 
of her technique against his defenses.  He saw her immediately take him 
up on the unspoken invitation, launching a probing attack with her 
bokken at his front and sides.  He watched her search for the slightest 
weaknesses as they almost flirted with each other.  Both of them wore 
serious expressions, but there was a hint of something else in both 
their gazes.

"What is he waiting for?" Nabiki muttered.  "He's holding back."

Toga briefly glanced at Nabiki, her words registering on his awareness.  
He was following the contest going on between the pigtailed stranger 
and Utena with interest, but it was not fully distracting him from the 
presence of his charming companion.  There was something about the girl 
that called to him, a strength of mind and will within her that was 
very appealing.  He would have her for his own.

Utena had noticed Ranma's diffidence, and she hissed, "What's the 
matter with you?  I know you can show me more of a challenge than 
this."

"If you insist," said Ranma with a sudden smile, his posture changing.  
He launched into a broken-rhythmed sequence of high and low attacks, 
pummeling away at Utena's defenses in a manner that left breathless 
more than one girl watching him.

"Whoa," breathed Ukyo, her face almost plastered to the window as she 
watched Ranma cut loose in an acrobatic display of grace and strength 
that she had never seen a fighter perform before.  He was incredible.

Nabiki blinked at the sight of Ranma's prowess, and she was astonished 
at how much he had improved in a single week.  Once she defeated him, 
she could tell that holding her edge would require dedicated training 
on her part.  But she would not have had it any other way.  A warrior's 
skills were measured against the level of her opposition, and Ranma was 
looking to be growing into quite an excellent opponent.  She now looked 
forward to her next match with him even more.

Juri watched the struggle building between Ranma and Utena with great 
interest, the two fighters almost evenly-matched in skill.  This was 
art made from bodily motion, a dance of combat that stirred her soul to 
witness.  Juri felt honored at being present, and she looked forward to 
her next bout with Utena, to see what new challenges the pink-haired 
girl would offer her own skills.

As the battle raged towards a climax, Kyosuke suddenly felt Anthy's 
Power trigger within her, launching it into the fray.  He immediately 
responded, deflecting the telekinetic grab away from Ranma without 
either fighter being aware of it.  He grappled with Anthy mentally as 
their telekinetic abilities clashed.  She was unbelievably strong, but 
luckily her Power was being used by her unconscious mind.

Standing as they were at the back of the group, no one else noticed 
when faint streamers of Power spread out and dissipated into the marble 
walls.  Kyosuke let out a breath he had been unconsciously holding when 
he felt Anthy's Power subside like a tide going out.  He had averted a 
potential crisis, and he knew his grandfather would be proud of him.

Miki glanced at his stopwatch, still running after over twenty minutes 
of intensive combat, and he was amazed.  Utena had never had to fight 
this long against anyone before.  He lowered his arm and returned his 
gaze to the match, after looking briefly at his lovely companion.

Ranma and Utena broke apart, both of them breathing heavily now.  A 
thin trail of sweat ran down one side of Utena's face, dampening her 
hair.  She and Ranma circled each other as they briefly catalogued 
their injuries.  This was a far different fight than the last one.

Fuji was growing concerned.  He had seen Utena trade a multitude of 
blows with Ranma, and he could tell that she was tiring from her 
injuries faster than the boy was.  The difference was miniscule, as 
Utena had dealt out just as much punishment as she received, but a 
battle such as this could end on a single blow.

Fuyutsuki was pleased.  Despite suffering a number of hard strikes from 
both Utena's bokken and her kicks, Ranma appeared to be slowly gaining 
the upper hand.  He nudged Fuji.

"It doesn't look good for young Tenjou," Fuyutsuki said solemnly, 
trying not to sound like he was gloating.

"It's not over yet," replied Fuji.  He winced as the two young fighters 
engaged each other in a devastating exchange, leaving both looking much 
worse for wear when it was over.

"Ouch," muttered Nabiki, noting that Ranma must have bruised a rib or 
two from the way he was moving.  Utena was proving to be a skilled 
fighter, but Nabiki didn't like the way she was looking at Ranma.

Utena sucked in a breath through her mouth, trying to appear less 
injured than she was.  She was coming to the end of her bag of tricks, 
and Ranma had managed to counter everything so far.  But a smile lit 
her face, one returned by Ranma.

"One last dance?" said Ranma teasingly.  This had been fun, but it was 
time to bring it to a conclusion.  His body hurt a lot, but he could 
still function.  He began moving in on Utena.

"I'll lead," replied Utena with a wolfish grin.  She and Ranma rushed 
at each other, and both of them took to the air in a leap.

                   ******************************

"It's very unbecoming for a scientist to gloat."

"Sorry.  But it was an excellent match, old friend.  Both of them 
fought with inspiration."

"Yes, they did.  We'll have to do this again sometime soon.  Perhaps 
for higher stakes next time, and broadening the competition?  After 
all, we both have the makings of a good team this year for the Imperial 
Youth Games."

"An intriguing notion."

"Yes."

The two headmasters turned to look at their charges, watching the two 
groups saying farewell to each other.  Now that the fight was over, it 
was time to return home.  A bandaged Ranma and Utena stood to one side 
of the group, both of them looking like refugees from a war somewhere.  
Fuyutsuki noted that both Kodachi and Nabiki seemed to be rather tense, 
both girls keeping a rather possessive eye on Ranma.

"I guess this is goodbye again," said Utena with a smile, putting her 
hand behind her head and chuckling nervously.

"Yeah," agreed Ranma, unsure what he should say.  "Uh, you did pretty 
good today."

Utena's grin faltered a little, and she replied, "Yeah, but I still 
lost."  Her smile regained its luster, and she stepped a half pace 
closer to Ranma.  "You're a good fighter, Saotome-kun.  It was fun."

Now it was Ranma's turn to chuckle nervously.  "Uh, heh.  Well, maybe 
we could do it again sometime.  Or maybe something else other than a 
fight."

"I might take you up on that," replied Utena, feeling her heart soar in 
her chest.  She noticed that the two girls who came with Ranma were now 
giving her unfriendly looks.  She purposely ignored them.

Nabiki stepped up next to Ranma, subtly nudging him backwards to put a 
little space between him and Utena.  "We should get going, Ranma-kun.  
It's a long ride home."

"Yes, Saotome-kun," agreed Kodachi, taking up a mirroring position to 
Nabiki's.  "We should leave now."

"But I was just-"

The two girls ignored his protests, each of them taking firm hold of 
one of his arms and half-dragging him to the car.

Toga watched the newest object of his affections depart with a neutral 
look.  He idly fingered the slip of paper in his pants pocket, Nabiki 
Tendo's telephone number.  It was obvious that Ranma Saotome did not 
realize what a precious gem he had in the girl, and he felt it was his 
duty to show the other boy the folly of his ways.  Yes, it promised to 
be a most interesting diversion.

Miki was less amused as he watched Kodachi depart with that brutish 
Ranma.  He thrust his hands into his pockets as he saw Kodachi demean 
herself so, all because of Ranma Saotome.  It was obvious to him what 
he had to do.  Sweet and innocent Kodachi needed to be rescued from her 
infatuation with someone unworthy of her affections.  And Miki Kaoru 
was just the man to do it, he vowed silently.

Utena did not quite glare at the two girls dragging Ranma off.  If she 
had not already sustained numerous injuries, she would have been quite 
happy to teach those two proper manners.  Poor Ranma was obviously too 
much of a gentleman to resist being bullied by those two.  He needed a 
girlfriend who could watch out for his interests, and also keep bullies 
like Nabiki and Kodachi in line.  Besides, those two had as much as 
slapped her in the face with a declaration of war, so war was what they 
were going to get.

Off in the shadows, Ukyo studied the situation with dismay.  It was 
obvious to her that Utena Tenjou was only one threat to her own future 
happiness.  Those other two city-bred girls would have to be dealt with 
as well.  Ukyo was not overly concerned.  She would deal with them soon 
enough, as only a ninja of her combat abilities could do.

Forgotten in the midst of the melodrama taking place around Ranma, 
Anthy and Kyosuke said their telepathic good-byes in peace.

Thank you for coming to visit me, Kasuga-senpai, projected Anthy with a 
shy smile.  And I'm grateful to you for helping me keep my promise to 
Utena-san.

Kyosuke smiled back and mentally replied, I'm glad that I could help, 
Anthy.  But you might want to take a couple of days off and return to 
the Institute for some lessons in control.

Yes, Kasuga-senpai, projected Anthy docilely.  That's good advice.

Kyosuke looked at the two girls who were all but forcefully stuffing 
Ranma into the car and winced slightly in sympathy.  He turned back to 
face Anthy.  Well, it looks like the others are about ready to go, he 
thought.  Take care of yourself, Anthy.  Remember, you represent the 
Mobius Institute to these people.

Yes, Kasuga-senpai, replied Anthy mentally.  Farewell.

With a last smile at the girl, Kyosuke turned and walked to the car.  
He watched in amusement as the two young women ganged up on Ranma in a 
united effort.  He was glad that Yohko was the only girl in his life, 
although he still wanted to help Madoka get free of the biker gang she 
was in.  That was no life for a teenaged girl.  She just needed a 
friend who could help her through the transition.  It should be easy 
enough to do.

                   ******************************

The afternoon sun painted a rosy glow on the walls of the Saginomiya 
Manor's private dojo.  Within, a familiar-looking, proud daughter of 
that line was training in solitude, a singular desire within her 
driving her ever onward in her efforts.  Almost like a living thing, 
the ribbon in her hands snapped out to encircle the neck of a training 
dummy.  Without breaking the ribbon's tension, her other hand snatched 
up a razor-sharp hoop of metal and launched it at the target, severing 
the head from the shoulders.  A number of such effigies were strewn 
about the hall, and she visualized each one destroyed bringing her one 
step closer to her final goal.

"Oh, how you will pay for the many indignities I have suffered at your 
hands, Kodachi Kuno," muttered Asuka Saginomiya.  Angry tears clouded 
her vision for a moment, but she continued lashing out with her ribbon 
in a staccato pattern.  If she had fought using the deadly skills of 
her chosen art, rather than bare hands, then Kodachi would never have 
defeated her.  That had been Asuka's mistake.

The blonde continued her tirade by saying, "I swear I shall repay you a 
hundred, no, a thousand-fold for my humiliation.  I live for the day 
that I will see you kneeling before me, begging for mercy."  A cruel 
smile crossed her lips as she slashed rents into yet another training 
dummy.
 
The afternoon sun continued to shine outside, but one could almost hear 
a distant riff of thunder.  Asuka neither noticed nor cared, continuing 
to rage at the injustices of her life.  To think that she, a beautiful 
daughter of an illustrious warrior heritage such as the Saginomiya's 
possessed could be beaten by a fortunate cow like Kodachi Kuno.  It was 
inconceivable.  It was unfair.

"I swear to the gods that I will have my vengeance upon you, Kodachi 
Kuno!"

"A mighty vow," observed a dry voice from behind Asuka.

Asuka spun around, bringing her ribbon up to a guarding position, her 
chest heaving slightly from her efforts.  Trails of sweat ran down the 
back of her neck and between her breasts, even as she growled at the 
unexpected interruption.  Her gaze narrowed.

Standing before Asuka a short distance away was a tall man, wearing a 
dark brown cloak with a deep hood, the shadows hiding much of his face.  
His clothing was simple yet sturdy, the garb of a farmer, or perhaps a 
monk.  Well-worn boots protected his feet.  He carried no weapon save 
for a simple staff of wood, metal-shod at both ends.  One end rested 
lightly against the ground.

"I mean you no harm, girl," said the figure with a slight bow.  "I 
simply could not help overhearing your words.  You might say they 
struck a chord within me."

Asuka did not move, uncertain what to make of the stranger before her.  
She suddenly felt a little foolish, but that brought her anger back up 
full force again.  "Who are you?" she asked brusquely.

"Forgive me," said the figure, his lips curling into a half-smile below 
what was concealed by the shadows of his hood.  "My name is Nanashi."

Asuka frowned.  No name?  That was his name?

"You are on private property, peasant," said Asuka coldly.  "I suggest 
you leave now before I summon the house guards."

"There's no need for that," said Nanashi calmly, as he stepped towards 
her.  "You see, I can help you reach your goal.  I sympathize with it."

There was something about his manner, supreme confidence that bordered 
on arrogance, and something more, that caused Asuka to hesitate.  She 
knew that a single shout from her would quickly bring a dozen armed men 
to her aid, so she let the stranger continue to approach her because 
his words intrigued her.  As he did so, she saw Nanashi reach up and 
casually flip back his hood, revealing handsome features beneath.

He was young, perhaps twenty at the extreme oldest, with a short mane 
of black hair that flowed down to halt above his shoulders.  He was a 
foreigner, his skin lightly-bronzed, and large of build without being 
ungainly, yet he spoke Japanese with a modest accent that Asuka could 
not place.  Almost despite herself, she was captivated.  There was just 
something about him, an almost palpable presence that she had felt in 
the vicinity of few other men.  His profile carried with it a sense of 
nobility, and the hawklike clarity of the gaze in his brown-gold eyes 
was electric.

"How did you get in here?" Asuka demanded.

"I have my ways, Saginomiya-sama," said Nanashi as he stopped a short 
distance from her.  "I would offer you my services.  I think they might 
prove useful to you."

Asuka blinked, shifting her position slightly.  She willed herself to 
continue to meet his gaze, refusing to lower it from his face like some 
vapid girl.  "And just what sort of services are those?"

"I am knowledgeable in the martial arts," said Nanashi calmly.  "I can 
improve your skills manyfold."

"And what do you ask for in return?"  Asuka dropped her arms a little, 
but she remained wary of any tricks.  After all, she trusted no one in 
this life, not since her mother's death.

"An exchange of favors," replied Nanashi, capturing Asuka's gaze with 
his eyes once more.  "I will help you with your vengeance, and you can 
help me with mine.  I can sense great strength within you, My Lady."

"How do I know your teachings are worth my time?"

Nanashi smiled and replied, "Perhaps a demonstration is in order."  He 
flipped his staff back and released it from his grasp, the length of 
hardened wood landing upright against the wall without rebound.  He 
then placed his hands together for a moment, as if in prayer.  "You may 
attack me, if you so choose."

Grinning wolfishly, Asuka launched herself into an attack.  Her ribbon 
slashed for Nanashi's face, but the attack was almost casually dodged.  
She reacted in a single instant, swiftly whipping her body around in an 
upthrusting kick.

"Speed, strength, and adaptability are all marks of a capable martial 
artist," explained Nanashi as he dodged aside from the blow.  He did 
not change the pacing of his words as she continued to attack him with 
even greater fury, frustrating her as Nanashi dodged and evaded every 
attack with apparent ease.  "I can improve your abilities in all of 
these areas, Saginomiya-sama.  I can also offer you much more."

When Asuka did not reply and simply kept attacking him, Nanashi slipped 
a swift palm strike past her defenses.  The blow struck hard against 
the young noblewoman's chest, landing high on her ribcage, and the heir 
to the Saginomiya name was utterly shocked to feel her heart abruptly 
stop.  Asuka staggered back, dropping her ribbon, her body convinced 
that she was already dead.  Feeling panic rising within her, she tried 
to breathe, but could not draw any air into her lungs.

"I can offer you the means for your revenge," Nanashi said gently.  "I 
too know what it is like to suffer ignoble humiliation at the hands of 
another."

Surging forward suddenly, Nanashi struck another blow to Asuka's chest, 
this strike landing just to the right of where his first blow had 
impacted.  Asuka dropped to her knees, still trying to catch a breath, 
even as her heart lurched back to life.  She fell forward, almost onto 
her face, grateful to experience herself breathing once again.  She 
stayed in that position for several moments, sucking in life-giving air 
as she heard Nanashi stepping away from her to retrieve his staff.

"W-wait," said Asuka, raising herself to a kneeling position.  Her 
voice sounded horribly weak to her ears.  She saw Nanashi turn to face 
her, his hood lifted to cover his head once more.  "What did you do to 
me?"

"A killing technique that I might someday instruct you in," Nanashi 
answered simply.  "If you are interested, that is."

Such power, Asuka thought with a cold smile.  Power enough to defeat 
Kodachi Kuno where she stood, to destroy her utterly, the next time 
they faced each other.  The young noblewoman managed to force herself 
to stand upright, facing the man with no name.  She coughed briefly as 
her body dealt with the last remnants of shock.

"I would hear more of this, Nanashi-san," said Asuka with a wolfish 
gleam in her eyes.  "What school is it?"

"A most rare and powerful school, Saginomiya-sama," Nanashi answered, a 
half-smile upon his face.  "In your language, it is called Musabetsu 
Kakuto Ryu.  Few can face its full power and survive.  I will teach you 
as much of it as you are strong enough to bear."

Asuka smiled at the name, the School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts.  In 
truth, the name of the style meant little to her.  But if a single blow 
could kill a human being where they stood, what else could it hold for 
her?

"Then instruct me, Nanashi-sensei," said Asuka pleasantly.  "Let me 
become your pupil, so that I may have my revenge against my enemy."

"Of course, My Lady," said Nanashi with a slight bow.  "It will be my 
honor to forge your skills into a lethal weapon against all who would 
dare stand opposed to you."

Asuka smiled, a cold, evil smile.  She had no thought as to why this 
mysterious stranger would suddenly appear to train her, but she was 
pleased that he had.  Her previous plans for hurting her enemy would 
have to be revised, she mused.  She might still seduce Kodachi's lover 
away from her anyway.  Despite his being of the lower classes of the 
nobility, he was undeniably attractive.  At least enough for some fun 
in Asuka's bedchamber.

"But, before we begin," said Nanashi suddenly, "perhaps you might do me 
the honor of requesting whoever it is observing us to reveal himself."

"What?" Asuka blurted out.  "Who dares to spy on an innocent young girl 
without her consent or knowledge?"

"Somehow, I don't think that innocent is a description that applies to 
either of us, my dear Asuka," said a male voice.  Stepping into the 
doorway came Mikado Sanzenin.  He smiled at her and leaned against it.  
"Do you?"

Asuka glared at the boy and growled out, "Sanzenin, you vile pervert."

"Does your offer of instruction apply to others, Nanashi-san?" asked 
Mikado, ignoring a furious Asuka for the moment.  Teasing her was a 
game he enjoyed playing.  Up close, he sensed the mysterious, older 
boy's power.  This was not someone to be trifled with, but Mikado could 
not resist an opportunity to learn more of this school of martial arts 
that Ranma Saotome claimed knowledge of.  Knowledge was its own weapon.

Nanashi quirked his lips into a smile, and replied, "If the student 
intrigues me enough."

"Then I submit myself as a prospective pupil," said Mikado with a flash 
of a grin at Asuka.  "I have a score of my own to settle with someone."

Asuka's glare increased in its intensity, and she growled dangerously, 
enunciating each word, "How.  Dare.  You.  Do.  This."

"I am Mikado Sanzenin," the boy replied with a roguish smile.  "I dare 
many things."  He walked over to stand near a fuming Asuka.  "Besides, 
it might be fun."  He smiled more broadly when he came to within a few 
feet of the athletic blonde's proximity, feeling that odd tingling of 
excitement that few other girls had ever made him feel.  His true love, 
Kodachi Kuno, was one, and then there was also that lovely commoner 
girl, Nabiki Tendo.   Asuka was the third he knew of, and he so enjoyed 
taunting her.

"Lowlife, pleasure-seeking scum," growled out Asuka.  "You have no idea 
how much I utterly despise you."  She fought down the sensations within 
her.  She would not give him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting 
to her.

"Ah, Asuka-chan, my sweet," chuckled Mikado.  "I would think that you 
would welcome my aid in this, in case you run into difficulties."  He 
stepped a little closer to her and allowed his gaze to briefly dip down 
for a momentary study of her chest.  "Besides, think of how enjoyable 
it will be to spend some time together again, you and I."

Asuka's cheeks flushed crimson, but her gaze met his without yielding 
in the slightest.  She continued to growl low in her throat.

"A man never forgets his first time, Asuka-chan," said Mikado ever so 
softly.  "Does a girl?"  His hand brushed against her cheek.

The sound of a slap echoed around the dojo like a rifle shot.

"If you two are quite through," said Nanashi rather dryly, breaking the 
impromptu tableau that followed Asuka's open-handed strike across 
Mikado's face.  "I accept you as a student, Your Lordship.  We will 
begin tonight."

As an aside to the blonde noblewoman, Mikado said, "My only desire here 
is for revenge upon that peasant, Ranma Saotome, lovely Asuka-chan.  I 
would also most strongly suggest that you do no permanent damage to 
Kodachi Kuno, for your sake.  However, anything short of that, and I 
will not interfere with you.  Do you understand?"

"OHHOHOHOHO!" laughed Asuka.  "Why Sanzenin-kun, you make it sound as 
if I plan to kill Kodachi-chan."  Her voice was a mockery of sweetness 
that dipped deeper into venom as she continued to speak.  "Why, nothing 
could be further from the truth.  All I desire is to see her humiliated 
as I was, defeated and broken.  Why, I would never seek to do the girl 
any permanent damage.  What would be the fun in that?"

Mikado frowned, his poise broken for a moment.  "Make no mistakes about 
this, Asuka-chan.  This is only an alliance of convenience.  Nothing 
more."

"Of course, Sanzenin-kun," replied Asuka, all sweetness once more.  She 
quickly elbowed him in the side, hard.  While he glared at her, she 
continued to speak as if nothing had happened.  "And please cease to 
ply me with your roguish charms while I am forced to spend time in your 
presence.  I may have yielded to them once, but I am quite immune to 
them now.  Do we understand each other?"

"Of course, Asuka-chan, my sweet," said Mikado pleasantly through his 
gritted teeth.  "You know well my reputation.  After partaking of a 
beautiful flower once, I do not return to it again.  You should know 
that, my dear White Lily."  He smiled coldly at her, each of them 
holding the other's gaze in a figurative deathgrip, as the two glared 
at each other for several moments.

Prepare yourself, Ranma Saotome, thought Mikado coldly.  First, I will 
shatter you for the humiliations you have done to me, then I will take 
that dear girl Nabiki Tendo for a single night of intimate pleasures.  
Perhaps two, he quickly amended.  And then, finally, I will achieve my 
ultimate goal, and Kodachi Kuno shall be mine.

Just you wait, Kodachi Kuno, thought the White Lily.  For I am Asuka 
Saginomiya, descendant of generations of samurai, and I will see you 
humbled before me, begging for my non-existent mercy.  This I swear, 
and no one had better attempt to stop me.

Arising from two throats, the training hall echoed once again with the 
sounds of laughter.  It was a sobering sound.


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Kyosuke's trip to another world, and the adventures of his counterpart 
on this one, are detailed in the QD Side-Story "Temporal Thunder."  It 
has not been released to the public yet, but you can write the author, 
Stardragon, at: st002153@hrz1.hrz.tu-darmstadt.de


Thanks to my pre-readers for all of their help and advice:

DB Sommer
Doug Whiddon
Jeremy Fogelman
Jim Bader
Stardragon
Stephen Sparrow