They Are My Noble Masters Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Virtua Fighter Fan Fiction ❯ Nodoka 2/1 ❯ Chapter 12 - The Art of Dating ( Chapter 12 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Nodoka 2/1
The Chroma Series
Act 1 Part 02

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

DISC LAIMER
This is a work of sub-fiction. It is not worth your time, effort, or court costs! I own few of the assets for this story, or much of anything else. Please don't sue me! This is just for fun, and practice.

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-
AUTHOR'S NOTES

-I have really been trying (and failing) to tone down the ecchi. My goal has never been to make this any more ecchi than it needs to be, but with the subject matter involved, it can be difficult to avoid. Especially when many of my helpers, and I am sure some of you readers, enjoy it. My goal has always been to only show what we feel is important to the plot or to character development. I am a verbose fellow, and so, I tend to be long winded, and go overboard on occasion. To anyone that bothers, I am sorry. I am trying... "Yes, yes you are!" ...HEY!

"Speech"
'Thought' {And other emphasized items}
/Mandarin/
\Cantonese\
-English-
{Author's Notes & *Translations* Feel free to skip these}

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

GLOSSARY (from the last chapter)

Kanamara Matsuri - Steel Phallus Festival

Happi - a traditional Japanese straight-sleeved coat, worn at festivals and by fire fighters.

Tin Tong Niu - Cantonese for 'Bird of Paradise', lit. 'Paradise Bird'. It can also refer to the flower of the same name.

Kujira - Whale.

Yotogi - Nighttime attendant.

Daisuki - lovable; very likable; like very much.

Chinko - (n) (1) (col) (vulg) (chn) penis; (2) (ktb) practice

Sukoshi - skosh, a small amount.

Hito - (n) (1) man; person; (2) human being; mankind; people; (3) (uk) human (Homo sapiens); humans as a species; (4) character; personality; (5) man of talent; true man; (6) another person; other people; others; (7) adult; ...or using a different character, 'one'

Hime - (n) (1) princess; young lady of noble birth; (n-suf,n) (2) girl; (n) (3) (arch) (kyb:) prostitute; (pref) (4) small; cute; (P)

Juken - entrance exams

Counting Numbers - 1(ichi), 2(Ni), 3(San), 4(shi/yon), 5(go), 6(roku), 7(shichi/nana), 8(hachi), 9(ku/kyu), 10(ju)

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

Chapter 12
The Art of Dating

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

Genma had been a bit gun-shy about fighting Ranma after facing a literal 'force of nature' in the previous attempt, and he had been trying to figure out another way to make his point. He certainly could not beat a guy who could throw tornadoes around at will. Not without a counter move anyway, but he did not see how the boy had done it. It looked so easy, just an uppercut. He really should have been paying more attention. He needed another way.

 No sooner had he thought this, than he saw Nodoka enter the room, book in hand, heading toward the bookshelf. "Wife!"

 "Did you plan to sleep in the guest room again this evening?"

 Genma was surprised at the question. "Of course, but we need to talk."

 Nodoka did well masking her emotions, not one trace of her disappointment showed through, not that she had expected a different answer. She finished returning her book as she responded. "This is about Ranma-kun then." This was not a question, but a deduction.

 Genma was honestly confused for a moment before responding. "Of course it is. What else could it be?"

 "Apparently, not a thing. So what, specifically, about Ranma-kun, did you wish to discuss?"

 Genma wanted to shout that 'I am the man, and you will give me back my parental rights!', but even he was aware of what the likely outcome of that would be. What he said instead, though much more polite, did not get him much further though. "Will you return my parental rights? Can we work out a deal?"

 "For what reason, would I possibly do such a thing? Considering what you did when you did have them, you are lucky we are even speaking. It is only because of what you have done for those girls, that I was giving you this chance. Prove to me that you should even be allowed in the same room as my son before we discuss 'parental rights'. I had intended on giving you more time to prove yourself, but since you refuse to take part in any of your other familial duties, and wish to pursue this line of debate, we can have it now."

 "Fine then, I challenge you! The winner decides the boy's future."

"No."

 "What do you mean, 'no'? Accepting challenges is a tenet of our school!"

 "Oh, I accept your challenge, I do NOT, however, accept your terms. Ranma-kun's future is not something you need concern yourself with any longer. No one will decide my son's future except Ranma-kun! It is your own future that should be in the forefront of your mind at this time, Genma-san. THAT will be the stakes in this fight, YOUR future. Ever since we left, that has been the only thing open for discussion. You are the challenger, so I pick the stakes."

 The cold steel in his wife's voice made him want to run for the hills. The only thing keeping him there was the knowledge that if he did run, they would likely not let him return. His only option then would be to break in, grab Ranma, and run, but he was not sure that even the Umi-Sen Ken could get him passed Maid Guy. "Then, what are these ...stakes?"

 "You will prove your mettle. You will show that you are, in fact, a man with honor. It matters not who wins this fight, but how you perform. Fight with honor, or leave, and never 'darken' our doorstep again. Your name will be stricken from our family registrar, you will no longer be a Saotome, and you will never bother us again. These are the terms, the fight is tomorrow. There will be NO other options." Nodoka took another romance novel from the shelf as she turned back toward Genma, looking directly at him for the first time since he issued his challenge. "I guess 'I' am going to bed, in my 'empty' room for the night. I will see 'you', when you are ready for the match." While Nodoka's voice was cold, she still showed no outer sign of emotion as she left the room, though the cover of her book, would forever after, bear five 'finger shaped' indentions in the cover.

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

While the teens were not surprised to find Kaede still in bed with them when they woke up, they were not expecting Nodoka to miss out on family bath time for a second time in a row. Ranma was starting to wonder if something was wrong, but Ukyo thought back on their conversation of the night before and sympathized with her adoptive mother, trying to reassure Ranma. It made Ukyo eternally grateful that she was never really Ranma's sister, as she left the changing room, to get the furo ready for them.

 Ukyo had considered pushing Kikyo into washing Ranma's back, but they had all agreed that was pushing too fast, and she had been outvoted. Not being able to wash with cold water anymore, Ukyo prepared a bucket of warm water, so that she could wash Ranma when he was ready, but as she was doing so, Fubuki, who had already been in the room, filling the tub, stopped her.

 "If it is not too much to ask of you, Ukyo-sama, I would like to take over my duties as Ranma-sama's personal maid today."

 Ukyo eyed the young maid speculatively. She was wearing most of her maid's uniform, but the dress was nowhere to be seen. Nor was the young woman wearing slippers or any underwear to speak of, though she did have stockings up to her thighs, her apron, lacy wrist cuffs, collar, and maid's hat. Ukyo could not help but to lick her lips at the prospect, before her eyes lit up. "Oh yes, today is your first date with Ranchama. You are getting an early start on it, I see..." Ukyo looked Fubuki up and down again, motioned for her to 'spin', and appreciated the sight. "Very nice, but before I can approve that, I must 'test your skills'..."

 Fubuki only hesitated for an instant before agreeing. 'I will show Ukyo-sama all of the skills I have learned with the Tendos! Please, kami-sama, let my skills be up to the task...' Little did Fubuki realize that this was less of a test, and more closely related to 'sexual harassment'. Ukyo had just wanted to be rubbed on by the adorable maid as well.

 Fubuki was quite skilled indeed and Ukyo was 'really' starting to enjoy the 'washing'. 'Well, Ranchama DID tell me to take it easy, and to allow myself to be pampered once in a while... I cannot disobey a 'direct order' after all.' Ukyo got a lusty grin on her face, and was almost disappointed as Ranma walked into the room, with Shampoo and Pai on each arm. Kasumi and Nabiki filed in right behind him, quite enjoying the view.

 Ukyo shook her head to clear the fuzz that had been forming at the older girl's touch, and quickly said, "You pass.", before turning and greeting the newcomers. "RANCHAMA! Ohaio-gozaimasu! We are ready for you all. Ranchama, if you will sit here, and girls, if you will have a seat here..."

 They all stared at Fubuki. Kasumi was surprised at the boldness of her old friend. Nabiki was impressed by how far she had progressed, Fubuki would never have worn that just a couple of years ago. The other girls were just taking mental notes as they gauged Ranma's reaction. Shampoo's main concern was that when Ukyo decided to follow through with her promise of making her wear a maid's uniform in her sphinx form, that it would probably look rather similar to that. At least they did not make stockings that would survive her 'paws'. ...She would make sure of it.

 Everyone moved to their assigned places, as Fubuki began to wash Ranma, while Ukyo and Kasumi began to wash the other women, before they began to switch places and take turns. Kikyo and the other cursed girls had trouble washing each other due to the temperature of the water, so she tended to favor the others, and vice versa. It did not take long, before they were doing less 'washing', and more 'playing'. Kaede enjoyed the process very much, and wondered if they had done this as a family, then maybe her sisters might not have turned out so twisted...

 Kaede WAS disappointed that Ranma had been too preoccupied to pay her much attention, but watching the 'young master' and his maid interact had been such a turn-on, she soon found herself no longer caring. She had always been more of a voyeur at heart anyway. ...Being bathed by the others while she watched the scene unfold did not hurt matters either. Once again, she started looking ahead to next spring's graduation, and the private celebration she planned to have with her favorite students...

 Fubuki had spent a lot of time mentally preparing herself for this, she had planned out certain events for this day in great detail, while still leaving large gaps to allow for Ranma to choose activities for their day. She did not want to call it a 'date', as that implied that she was more than just a maid, a liberty she did not wish to take. Her job was to take care of her master's every need, and that was exactly what she intended to do.

 "Ohaio-gozaimasu, goshujin-sama. From this day forward, Ranma-sama is Fubuki's goshujin-sama. Is goshujin-sama ready to be washed?" Fubuki threw in every humble word form and honorific she knew, to show exactly how much this, and he, meant to her.

 Ranma flinched the first time she called him 'master', it was not something he particularly cared for, even if he had gotten rather used to it while in the Nujie Zu village. He did not want to complain, but he did feel as though he needed to say something. "There is no need to be so formal, Fubuki-chan. We are all friends here. You can do whatever you like."

 Fubuki blushed at her 'order', and nodded. She considered following through with the 'command', but decided to play it safe for now, and start by washing his back instead. There would be plenty of time to get to what she wanted to do, later. It would not do for her master to not get completely clean, and it would reflect poorly upon her as his personal attendant, especially since she voluntarily asked for this job. Some masters were unable to do many things for themselves, and as the maid, it is their job to make sure things did not go undone. Watching Maid Guy's example with Genma had taught her that. Fubuki was nothing, if not a quick study ...as long as it did not involve math.

 Ranma was enjoying himself. He was happily chatting away with the group as Fubuki quietly hummed while she scrubbed him down. Then, once she had finished his back ...and everything else back there, she slowly worked her way back up, and began to untie Ranma's braid...

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Somewhere, deep in the mountains of China, an older man, stroked his luxuriously long, silky hair ...and sneezed. "/Well, I might have allergies, but at least I got my hair back ...and all of the things that go along with it!/" He spared a glance over at the young waitress who had finally agreed to marry him before thanking the gods for allowing him to consume his dragon's whisker porridge. That day really turned his life around.

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Fubuki had enjoyed washing and brushing Ranma's hair, though not as much as washing his gorgeous butt, it was one of the many skills at which she excelled, and one she found to be quite pleasurable, especially this time. She would brush it again and tie it off after he had finished his bath, it was not good to tie it up while wet after all, but for now, it was time to move on to more washing. Fubuki moved around to face him, got on her knees, and began washing at his extremities. As she washed, she would occasionally steal glances up into Ranma's face, only to see him looking back at her, where she would blush and quickly look away. She lingered for a long time, washing his chest with her delicate fingers, before moving on to finally follow her instructions, and 'do whatever she liked'.

 It was the first time she had ever held a real one in her hands, and she was impressed. The way it felt, the weight, the texture as her soapy hands moved over it, the way it grew in her hands, and some time later, the way it exploded on her chest. It was all a new experience to her, and because it was Ranma, she felt that it was a wonderful one. This was one job she could easily see herself enjoying every morning, for a long time to come.

 Ukyo whispered into her ear, "Next time, you should 'wash it' with your mouth... It's much more fun ...and tasty.", before joining the others, making out in the tub.

 Fubuki looked down at Ranma's soapy crotch, and then at her chest before scooping a bit of it onto her clean finger, popping it into her mouth and grinning. 'Maybe I will, if that is something Ranma-sama would like. Ukyo-sama has not led us astray so far, so that seems likely. I have seen it in manga, and it does seem exciting...'

 Ranma saw the look of contemplation on 'his young maid's face, and assumed that she was wondering what she should do next. "Sorry about the mess. Why don't you go throw that stuff in the wash, and then come back. Now it is my turn to wash you." Ranma smiled at the girl, who blushed before hopping up to run for the changing room. She had considered protesting, but not for long.

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

F ubuki wanted to carry all of the things she had prepared for their 'outing', she had not wanted to rely on Ranma for anything of that nature, it was her job to 'be prepared for anything', and to be the one doing things for him, after all. Unfortunately, her ability to hide items on her person, while impressive to most people, paled in comparison to her master. She hoped that he would deem her worthy of learning from him one day.

 Ranma had insisted that he did not mind carrying her things at all, in fact, he had said that he felt it was his duty to help those who needed it. She did not like being thought of as weak, incapable, or worst of all, 'clumsy', she hated that one most of all... The problem was, that when she compared herself to her young master, she really was all of those things, and more, or should that be 'less'? She had always been impressed with him and their stories, but now that she had met him in person, she found that she had not been near impressed enough. Her wildest fantasies about the boy did not hold a candle to the real thing. He was as far above her as she was above an infant. Being around him made her feel on top of the world, as if she could do anything, and yet, weak and insignificant at the same time, it was a conundrum, and she was having trouble working it out. The dichotomy of it confounded her, and still, she had no interest in seeing it ever end.

 As Fubuki was contemplating her situation, Ranma was finishing loading up Fubuki's picnic supplies. Unlike Kasumi, who had forgotten items, intentionally or otherwise, Fubuki was not leaving a thing to chance. She would be prepared for anything that she thought might come up. Certain items she had made sure to carry herself, some things were too embarrassing too let him see yet. She had loaded up with as many things as she could before Ranma had shown up, offering to help.

 Once they were ready, they called out to the remaining household. "Itte Mairimasu!" Before they made it to the door, Nodoka had intercepted them.
{*Itte Mairimasu/Itte Kimasu = I am leaving, but I will be back.*}

 "Itte Irasshai. Do not be too late getting home, I will be fighting your father this evening... You should be here to bear witness."
{*Itte Irasshai = Please go (and come back).*}

 "Sure kaa-chan, I will make sure to.... You WHAT?!?!"

 Nodoka's voice stayed calm, and level ...too level. "Your father has challenged me, and of course, I accepted. The match will be today, before dinner. Which of us will win or lose is not important. What is important, is if your father will fight with honor, then I will decide if there is still a place in this family for that man."

 Ranma scowled for a moment. "Based on my aura reading, I would not hold my breath for that to happen."

 Fubuki felt she needed to say something. She was not really sure what though, as they were her masters, and correct.

 Nodoka and Ranma both saw Fubuki fidgeting, but Nodoka was the first to speak. "Fubuki-chan, was there something you wanted to add?"

 Fubuki fidgeted even more. "Well, goshujin-sama's mother, it is not really my place to speak..."

 "No, perhaps not, but you have been here the longest, if you have anything you would like to say, I would love to hear it."

 "Yes, Fubuki-chan, please, if you ever feel you need to say something, you can come to us. I always want to hear what you have to say. You are as much a part of this family as any of us."

 "Well, maybe not your father..."

 "Oh, no, I am only a humble maid, I could not presume-"

 "No presumption needed, my dear. You are a very valuable member of this household. We welcome you, and your input."

 The shy young maid looked at the ground, hands behind her back, while one foot tapped around nervously. "Well, it REALLY isn't my place to say this, or try to influence you in anyway, but Genma-sama has improved considerably since I first got here. I never thought I would stand up for that person, but it seems your return has caused a bit of a regression. My hope is that as things calm down, Genma-sama will as well... I cannot say that I like the guy, however I do owe a debt, though Kogarashi-san traded for the service, but the Tendos, and I know that it was you that let them stay and all, but ...I shudder to think of what would have happened to them if Genma-sama had not taken them in at the time... The guy really did get better!" Fubuki could not stop her tears, she always cried when she thought back on that horrible night. Those poor little girls, almost losing both of their parents on the same night, not thinking for a moment about how she had lost both of her own parents not long before that.

 Both Ranma and Nodoka had taken the girl into their arms. "I know dear, I know. I am the one married to Genma-san after all. Ranma-kun might not remember, and only had my old stories to go on, and I admit, I was a bit spiteful at the time, yet I will never forget... I cannot, not after all that happened."

 "Kaa-chan?"

 "It's a long story. I have told you much about those days before..." Nodoka shook her head. "It's not important. Those days are over, and there is nothing we can do about it now. Besides, if not for that time in my life, and your father, I would not have you, my son, and that is not something I would ever want to change for anything." She hugged the teens in her arms, kissing them both on the cheek. "I too owe the man a debt, for both you, my son, and for being such a fool. If not for that, I might never have gone on that trip with you, I would never have learned so much, and I would have been the one you did not know anything about. You just do not know how much I treasure this special relationship we have, more than a mother and son, we are friends. I must have been possessed to have ever considered letting anyone take you from me. Moreover, I have also learned a lot about how the world works on our trip, and I am not that young girl any longer. I was your age when I had to get married, Fubuki-chan's age when you were born, and you were four when we left. ...So long ago..." She looked at the maid, "...and were it not for that fateful night, we would never have needed to hire your adorable maid here as well, there are many things for which we should be grateful."

 "Aw, Kaa-chan, I love you too, and I wouldn't change anything either, well, except yesterday morning... Speaking of which, and not to change the mood, but, please, look after Ucchan for me today. Rest, no strenuous activities! Get the others to help if you need. If I come home and find Ucchan strapped to a bed, I will not be put out... There should be few issues, I told Ucchan what I would stop doing if you have any problems while I am gone..."

 "I will make sure Ukyo-chan does not sustain further injury. Do not worry, you go and have a nice date, my son, and take good care of your girlfriend here. I expect nothing less than perfection from you. I raised you to be the best." She turned to Fubuki and winked. "I will expect a full report when you return. Now, you two, go have fun."

 Fubuki blushed at being called Ranma's 'girlfriend'. "I am just the maid..."

 "If you are going out on a date with my son, then you will be treated as a proper girlfriend should, at least."

 "It's not a 'date'. I am just going to take care of Ranma-sama..."

 "Yes ...and Ranma-kun will take 'good' care of you too. Now, go have fun."

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

G enma had woken up early that morning in order to train. He had one of the most important battles of his life coming up, and he needed to do everything he could to get ready. Perhaps he could come up with a new technique...

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

"So, Fubuki-chan, where would you like to go first?"

 "I want to do whatever you want to do, goshujin-sama. From here, there is an arcade, a movie theater, many restaurants, two shopping malls, a new amusement park," She lowered her voice a bit, to continue, "...and three love hotels," and blushed before returning to her normal speaking voice. "...within a kilometer or so. Would any of those be acceptable to goshujin-sama?"

 Ranma was mildly frustrated, but he did not let it show. While his mother had taught him all about the nuances of deference and the way to talk to those of a higher or lower 'station' in life, he did not really care for the activity. He did not have a problem showing someone respect, when it was deserved, but it bothered him when people would not answer a direct question. On the other hand, he also knew it was so ingrained in most of his nation, that most of them could not even help themselves, especially in the case of shy people, like 'his' humble maid. He just hoped she would be willing to grow out of it eventually as she got used to being around him. From what Nabiki had told him, and what he had inferred from their letters, he had gathered she had already made great strides, and he would make sure to support her, and help her continue to make more. He had not missed the 'love hotel' comment, but did not want to be the kind of guy who would take a girl there first thing, on a first date, it just did not feel right to him. His mother might have taught him that men were supposed to always take charge and be the one in control, but Ukyo and the others taught him, that it should not always be that way. Some bodily functions aside, there were few things that either gender could do that the other could not.

 Since leading the group was not unfamiliar to him, he had only let out a small sigh, before his calm returned and he smiled brightly at his companion. The sigh did not go unnoticed, but his smile was reassuring. "How about the amusement park? It's kind of a mix of all of the above."

 Fubuki tried to smile too. "That sounds wonderful, but, Ranma-sama, have I done something to offend?"

 "No, Fubuki-chan, it is not your fault, put it out of your mind." Ranma smiled reassuringly, as he took her hand in his.

 "Okay, but please, goshujin-sama, if your maid has done anything that bothers you, then goshujin-sama must correct that behavior, so that it will not occur in the future..."

 "Okay, fine, there is one little thing. I know some of you look up to me, but I am no better a person than any of you. I do not want you to be my servant, I want you to be my friend and helper. When you have an opinion, a desire, or any other kind of input, I want you to promise me that you will tell me, even if only in private. Can you do that for me?"

 Fubuki was hesitant, and with a full body blush, her shyness returned in full force. "But, I am ...just a maid-"

 Ranma placed his hands on her shoulders, and got down on his knees, so that he could look up into her eyes. "No, you are not 'just' a maid, you are our friend, and a VERY important part of our family!" Ranma insisted, with a pleading look in his eyes. "I see you as an equal, and I hope that you can see that in me as well."

 Tears were flowing from the cute maid's eyes, as she sniffled. "I know ...I should not ...disagree, but, Ran-ma-sama, you really DO stand on a level so far above me, that I can barely even see you. Goushujin-sama is just so amazing in every way, that I stand in awe of everything you do. I could never hope to consider myself your equal, you are my better in every way..."

 "That is where you are wrong, in many ways. Just because I have trained more in some things, does not make me a better person. The art can teach us many things, but they are things we can all learn, and it does not take someone skilled in the art to do great things. I have studied long and hard to learn what I have in life, as I know you have as well. I can see that you are very capable, both as a martial artist, and as a maid. I can tell you have the basics of hidden weapons down, even if you have yet to master it. To learn it as well as you have on your own, is quite impressive. You are carrying, what? Eighty-five kilos of equipment?"

 Fubuki almost fainted with joy when Ranma called her a 'capable maid'. She had trained so hard her whole life to be good at what she did, and being thought of as 'clumsy' bothered her more than almost anything else, and here was the most skilled, and least clumsy person she knew, calling her the word she longed most to hear, 'capable', she was in heaven. "One hundred ...give or take."

 "See, and all of that couldn't be..." Ranma swept Fubuki into his arms. "humm, I would say it is only causing you to carry an extra forty, maybe 45 kilos..."

 Fubuki blushed again. "Even goshujin-sama, should not talk about a girl's weight..."

 Ranma brightened. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it? Give me a week of special training, and I will bet you that we can double your capacity and reduce the effective weight considerably."

 "You can? It took me years to master what I have..."

 "And the fact that you have, means it should be that much easier to show you the next steps to advance your skills. The disadvantage is you will no longer get the increased strength training from lugging all of that around, but the tradeoff is that you get to exercise your ki instead. In addition, it makes it easier to be light on your feet." Ranma smiled again.

 Fubuki was not used to praise from anyone other than her two friends, and having it coming from Ranma just made it all the sweeter to her. She was a bit confused by the change of topics, but decided that for Ranma, there must be no topic that did not involve 'training'... "If goshujin-sama wishes for me to train harder, then Fubuki will train harder! I promise to come to you with any concerns, and I will start with this. Goshujin-sama needs to learn that some people, enjoy being subservient, especially when it comes to having such an amazing master."

 Ranma thought back to his time in the village of Nujie Zu, and resigned himself. "Yes, I have been learning that fact for a while now. It is one I have long spent trying to come to terms with. I just need to know that I can count on you to speak up when you feel strongly about 'anything'. Most of all, I do not want you to do anything because you think it is expected, I want you to do things because you want to, treat us how you want to, none of us are above helping around the house, and we should all help each other. ...Look, all I am really asking for here, is honesty, your word that you will always tell me what you really think, that you are doing what you 'want' to do..."

 "Have no fear, goshujin-sama, serving you is what I want to do more than anything else in the world."

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 The two teens had been wandering around the amusement park, and were going through the haunted house. Fubuki had been clinging on to Ranma's arm, more for the pleasure it gave her than from any fear caused by the 'ghosts'. Ranma had assured her that he did not sense any real spirits nearby, so she was not afraid, but was really enjoying the excuse to be close.

 The latest of the mechanical 'monsters' jumped out at them, giving Fubuki an excuse to throw her arms around Ranma again.
 
 "Are you okay, Fukibuki? Can I call you 'Fukibuki' too? It's such a cute name, it suits you perfectly."

Rubbing up against him, Fubuki blushed and looked dreamily into his eyes. "I am fine, and you can call me anything you would like, goshujin-sama!"

 "You know, really, just 'Ranma' is fine, but, whatever makes you happy..."

 "Oh yes, goshujin-sama, it makes your Fukibuki VERY happy! It is my duty, and my honor, to pay you all of the respect you are due." Her voice dropped into a more hushed tone. "It is far more than just because I work for you. My grandmother is very well connected, if I had wanted to find another employer, it would have been done in an instant. I am working for you, because this is where I want to be more than anywhere in the world." She blushed again as she pulled Ranma's arm, directing him away from the usual walkways.

 Ranma felt a small tightness in his chest. "Well, technically, wouldn't ofukuro-chan be the one in charge, not me?"

 "Your honored mother and I had a long talk while you were out with Kasumi-sama. I have been instructed to be your personal maid, and to personally attend to your 'every' need." She looked up at him coyly, as her hand slid down into his pants. 'It is time to take Ukyo-sama's suggestion.' "Your bath this morning was my first official act as your personal maid, and I hope it was only the first of many..."

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 A young woman and her husband exited the haunted house, the wife dragging her husband by the arm, with an angry look on her face. Her commotion distracted everyone from seeing the two teens exit the building and head for another attraction, as she stormed up to the middle-aged man who was taking tickets at the door.

 "I really must say, I do not think that it is appropriate for you to have a statue of a maid giving fellatio in there, children could see!"

 "Well, any kids would be in school at this time of day, but we do not have any statues like that, I assure-"

 "I saw it with my own eyes! We both did, tell the guy, Hiryo-san!"

 Still lost in thought, with a far-away look on his face, Hiryo mumbled, "They looked almost real..."

 "Oh, just follow me! I will show you where it is! Just wait until we get home, husband!"

 "This, I have GOT to see for myself. I set up every one of those statues, and I am sure I would have remembered something like THAT!" With that, the attendant ran into the haunted house, along with many of the people in line.

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Sitting near a tree, both maid and master set up for their picnic lunch. Fubuki had tried to do it all herself, but Ranma insisted that he help, and no good maid refuses a direct order from her master. She may have protested a bit, but that grew less as the day wore on, and she had to admit to herself at least, that she was loving every minute of it, even if her pride as a maid would not let her stop trying.

 Once they were set up, Fubuki got out her chopsticks, and began to feed Ranma various items she had prepared that morning. "Here is shrimp tempura, and onigiri, and have some-"

 "Woah, slow down, please... Besides, we should take turns and each feed the other."

 Fubuki blushed. "...but I... maid... serve... goshujin-sama..."

 "I am not stopping you, but I will feed you in return. Do I need to make this an order?"

 Fubuki was acting shyly, bowing her head, and looking a bit disappointed. "No, goshujin-sama. It will be as you desire." Inside though, she was dancing for joy. 'Being fed by goshujin-sama, what an honor!' She longed to be indispensable to Ranma, to take care of all of the 'little' things, leaving him free to worry about the more important things in life, whatever those things were, she was not sure. Like her grandmother to her master, she wanted to be the head of his household staff, and take care of his every need ...personally.

 "You really are an excellent cook, Fukibuki, and being able to also feed you, makes it all the sweeter."

 "Goshujin-sama is such a flatterer..."

 "Not at all, if you and Kasumi-chan had a cooking show, the whole nation would be obese."

 "Well, sure, if Kasumi-sama was there, but I am no one speci-"

 "Yes, yes you are! You are one of the most special, talented, and adorable people I know!"

 "So, then, you do not think of Fubuki as a 'clumsy' maid?" Tears of joy, starting to flow down her face.

 "NO! Well, I mean we all make mistakes, everyone has their clumsy moments, but no, I think you are the most capable maid I know."

 Had Nabiki or Ukyo been there, they would likely have asked Ranma exactly how many maids he personally knew, but Fubuki looked beyond that, took the words at face value, and promptly fainted in his lap. Her master thought she was 'capable', it no longer mattered to her what the others said, she did not even really care if he meant it ...this was the happiest moment in her life.

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Ranma was noticing how much more fun, things like festivals and amusement parks could be, when you did not have to pull a large cart full of prizes with you, and once again thanked Zhe Ling for her instruction in the art of hidden weapons. He made a mental note to write her a letter soon, to see how she and her now larger family were doing, and to include a camera so they could occasionally take pictures of his children for him. He felt bad leaving so many members of his family behind, he wanted to at least see that they were growing up well. He did not want to regret that decision any more than he already did.

 Fubuki noticed his dip in mood. "Goshujin-sama, is something the matter?"

 Ranma looked down at the cute maid, standing at his side, holding his hand in both of hers, and immediately perked up. "I am sorry Fukibuki-chan, I just got distracted by a stray memory of old friends, to whom I would like to send a letter soon. It is nothing to worry about. We are here to have fun, and for now, you are the only person who matters..."

 "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

 "... unless something like that happens..." Quickly kissing her hand, he said, "Just a moment." He dashed toward the scream, moving faster than most eyes could follow while deftly avoiding anyone in the crowd, most of whom just stared at the source of the noise. Within a fraction of a second, he leapt into the air, intercepting the screaming woman's uncontrolled trajectory, from where the brunette had been flung from a roller-coaster car. "Not to worry, onee-san. Name's Ranma, I've got you."

 The woman's panic was only minutely alleviated. "You've got me, ...but who's got YOU?!?!?"

 Ranma let out his calming aura. "It is okay now, you are safe." Ranma gently set the woman down once he had landed, before vanishing back into the crowd as quickly as he had come.

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 "What happened? Are you okay? How did you land safely?"

 "I was investigating a story, about a defect in the harnesses on certain roller-coasters, and it seems that the defect is true. I was flung out of the car, and into the air. Thought I was going to die, but I was saved. Caught in the air, by some sort of ...super, man."

 "Could we get your name please? An ambulance is on its way for you..."

 "I am fine, thanks to that guy. I am a reporter, Lein, Loisu Lein..."

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Within seconds, Ranma was back with Fubuki and leading her away from the gathering crowd. "Let's hurry, should be a lot of empty rides for a little while. This one looks peaceful, let's go in here..." Ranma was not really paying attention to where they were going, just that it was dark, quiet, and away from the growing commotion. He did not want their date to be ruined just because he could not help but to play 'Good Samaritan', Fubuki deserved better than that. Not that he would have wished to have been able to resist that urge, it was just that he did not want to have to listen to the praise, that wasn't why he did it. All that mattered was that that woman was safe, and Fubuki was back in his arms, smiling ...like a ...shark?

 Fubuki DID notice where he was taking her, and practically swooned at the very idea. This was exactly the moment she had been waiting for, The Tunnel of Love... and best of all, it would be mostly empty!

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Ranma was pleasantly surprised by Fubuki's aggressive behavior, it was nice to see her being less submissive, even if it was only while they were alone. The fact that this was where the girl had chosen to have her first time, also surprised Ranma, not that he really minded, but even as slow a ride as it was, it was not as much time as Ranma would have liked to have had to make his date feel ...special.

 Fubuki did not mind, she had been so turned on by that point, that within seconds of being in the tunnel, her panties were safely in a hidden pocket, and she was on Ranma's lap. To her, the ride felt like one continuous climax that she did not want to end. Little did she realize, that they had gone around on the ride several times with a wink and a nod from the conductor each time, before she had returned enough to her senses to speak again.

 With her master still inside of her, she leaned forward, to hug and kiss him. "Now, Fubuki completely belongs to Ranma-sama, from now, until the end of time, you truly are ...my rightful goshujin-sama! I will always be there, by your side. If goshujin-sama ever needs anything, Fubuki will be there. With this binding, our contract is sealed. I am yours, for now and forever, to do with as you please." Trying to 'massage him back to life', she kissed him deeply on the mouth.

 Ranma signaled the conductor for another ride around... He needed to remember to thank the man when they were done, after all, a line was starting to form, and Ranma was sure he could have used the extra boat.

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Soon after, boat number thirteen was renamed. It was no longer the 'unlucky' boat, but the 'luckiest' boat at the park, even the boats on the log ride were jealous. The owner of the ride, who had been conducting it that day, ordered a name-plate for the little boat to replace the number, and from then on, boat number thirteen was known as, 'The Ranma-sama', for the name that the lucky young maid kept yelling out, during her two hour ride, through the tunnel of love...

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

Genma had not been able to come up with any new moves that were not cheap shots, even by his standards. He tried studying a terrifying style he had seen in a movie called 'hamster style', but had not been able to get beyond the very basics, and he just did not have the build for 'panda style'. This was probably for the best, he was fighting a woman, not the boy, and some of those moves were just too brutal for words...

 The problem was, that the boy had returned with the maid, and Genma was out of time, it was time to start their match. Genma found himself wishing the boy had taken longer on his date and, for the first time, causing his thoughts to align with Fubuki's.

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 The young maid had wished that their 'not a date' could have gone on forever, but at least she had a lot of photographs to add to their secret scrapbook. Once they had finished their ride through the tunnel of love, the ride's operator offered to sell them a photo of them exiting the tunnel. Fubuki was shocked to see how many of them there were, she had been embarrassed to learn how long they had been on the ride. She had been so caught up in the moment, that she had lost all track of time or place. It had been the best day of her life, and yet, also her first failure as 'his maid'. They were going to be late, and it was her fault! Yet, Ranma had still been kind enough to buy them all for her, so that she could 'dispose of them properly', little did he realize what she had meant by that. They were going to need more pages in the binder that was their scrapbook ...soon. Then he had scooped her up in his arms, and began leaping for home. Despite her protests, for fear of being too heavy due to her equipment, she did not want to be thought of as 'heavy' any more than she did 'clumsy' after all, Ranma had assured her that she was as light as a feather to him, and truly, if he noticed her weight in any way, he showed no signs of it.

 They had made it home in no time at all, and to Fubuki, it had felt as though they had been flying. This had been the single most romantic day of her life, though she had to admit to herself, that was not saying a lot. She had never expected to find real romance, so she had little exposure to it. Her entire life had revolved around one thing, perfecting her service for when she found the perfect master. Well, she had found him, far sooner than she had ever expected, and she found herself ...lacking. Luckily, her master was willing to train her, and she was happy to be subjected to any kind of training that he felt was necessary.

 Ranma shouted, "Tadaima!" as they entered the house. He was still holding Fubuki, mostly because he could sense that she did not want to get down, if her grip was anything to go by, and was happy to oblige.
{*Tadaima = I'm/We're home.*}

 "Okaerinasai, to you. Judging by the look on Fubuki-chan's face, I am guessing that you did well, Ranma-kun. I am proud of you." Turning to the maid, she added with a wink, "You will 'have' to give me all of the juicy details later." Nodoka had been waiting on them to arrive, already in her black silk gi, with pink trim and lining. It was a bit worn, being her first gi, but it meant a lot to her. She felt that since it started their journey with her, then it should be with her for the end.
{*Okaerinasai/Okaeri = Welcome Home.*}

She had been in a grim mood all day, but seeing the happiness between the two young lovers had alleviated much of that. 'As long as there are young people in this world, who can love like that, there is yet hope for the future generations.'

 "So, now, kaa-chan, you are going to fight the old man? What's going on?"

 Nodoka's grim look returned. "Well, your father challenged me, over who would get to choose your destiny." Nodoka paused for a moment for effect. "As I will not allow anyone to take away your right to choose your own path, I countered with a challenge over Genma's right to be a part of this family. Far too much of your future has been planned out for you as it is. You deserve to have as much control over the rest of it as you can. However, as the future head of our house, I need you to be there as my witness. It is unimportant who wins this fight, it is a matter of family honor, and honor is what will decide the outcome of this match. Win or lose, if your father fails to fight with honor ...I will be single again."

 "What?!?"

 "You father has only ever wanted to be my husband in name only. I thought things might be different when we got back, but such has not been the case." Her voice just kept getting lower as she spoke. "...I am almost sorry we came back..." 'I have just been sooo 'lonely'.'

 Ranma had gently let Fubuki's legs down as he took his mother into a hug with his other arm, with Fubuki completing the group hug. "Kaa-chan, you say the word, and we are out of here, we can go wherever you want. There is nothing keeping us here, ne?"

 Fubuki got worried, she wanted to stay with Ranma, but if they left again, they might order her to keep caring for the house while they remain gone... She did not show it, but she was starting to get scared. Things had just been going so well...

 "No Ranma-kun, there are plenty of things keeping us here. Even if your girlfriends would want to come with us, it is not right, we have roamed almost your entire life, and you all deserve a stable home life. Not to mention you should finish your education, in a proper school..."

 "I do not remember any other life, so I would not miss it. The tests we took proved that you have been a far better teacher to us than the schools could ever be. There is nothing here that we can not get anywhere."

 Fubuki remained calm and reassuring in her embrace, but internally, she was nearing a blind panic, with a hint of feeling as though she had been insulted...

 Ranma continued to speak. "The only thing that matters to me, is that we do not leave anyone behind who would want to go with us, as long as my precious family is by my side, nothing else matters." He gave them both a reassuring squeeze.

 Fubuki was not reassured, as the maid, she felt as though she could still be an exception to that rule.

 "No son, there are some things I cannot teach you, and this school sounds like the 'perfect' place for you to learn some of that. Your new girlfriends here would probably not like that lifestyle anyway."

 "Well, we could always go to Ucchan's place, those houses we bought near Kyoshi-sensei and Ryoga's place, we could go back to the village, or just go buy a new house, anywhere you want. There are always options kaa-chan, you are the one who taught me that. You also taught me, that all we need are our friends and family to be happy. As long as we have that, we will never be wanting."

 Nodoka had a stray thought, she almost immediately regretted. 'That is fine for you, but I can think of 'one' thing for which I have been wanting...'

 In many ways, life had been unfair to Nodoka, she had been forced to marry at a young age, to a man she had known next to nothing about, a man who never seemed to grow to care for her. Also forced at that same age to inherit the responsibility of caring for the sacred jewel, which she now knew was a monster magnet, something for which she had clearly not been prepared. While many would consider the fact that she still looked as though she were still in her early twenties to be great luck, but since her husband showed no interest in her anyway, she did not consider that much of a boon. Then she looked into Ranma's eyes, and felt like one of the luckiest women on the planet. "Ranma-kun, whenever I have regrets about my life, and the choices that have been made, both by, and for, me, I see you my son, and they all go away. You are more than worth every hardship, every poorly made choice, you make me feel as though it has all happened for that reason, to bring you into this world. I am sure you are destined for great things my son, and I could not be more proud of you. I love you my son." She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.

 Fubuki did not want to be left out and could not resist the urge to kiss his other cheek.

 "It seems that Fubuki-chan here, agrees."

 "Aw, kaa-chan, I love you too, and could not be more proud that you are my ofukuro." Ranma returned the kisses and gave them an extra squeeze in the embrace. "Thank you for everything you do."

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Nodoka, Ranma, and Fubuki exited the house, to join the rest of their household in the back yard, after their quick pep talk. Fubuki and Ranma joined Ukyo and the others, while Nodoka met Genma in the marked off 'ring' area.

 "Are you women done with your 'touchy-feely' moment?"

 'At least someone is touching and feeling 'something'...' "Yes, Fubuki-chan and I are done, as is the 'manliest' man I know, my son, Ranma-kun. Now, you wished for a fight?" Nodoka pulled out her bow, and held it in her left hand.

 Genma's eyes widened a bit at that, not expecting to see much use for a ranged weapon, adjusting his strategy. 'A weapon user ...and a ranged weapon at that? This is going to be easier than I thought...' Genma was preparing to charge in, to reduce the effectiveness of the missile weapon, when Ukyo had finished kissing Ranma 'hello' and had jumped up to get between them.

 "This is an honor battle! One round, no rules, no time-limit. The fight ends when one of you concedes or can no longer continue!" Ukyo glared at Genma as she remembered what he did in his fight with Ranma. "Bow to your opponent!" She waited until after they had done so before she continued. "Now, for the honor of the Saotome clan, FIGHT!" Ukyo jumped out of the ring, landing next to Ranma as Genma charged in.

 Genma was surprised that Nodoka had not tried to nock an arrow, but rather began to twirl the bow like a jo staff. He realized a moment too late that his strategy backfired, as he fell back with a welt on his forehead. The blow had knocked a bit of sense into him, and he came to the conclusion that he should have noticed that she did not have arrows, and that her bow was made of metal, and it hurt ...a lot more than it should have. He had been staggered for a moment, but he and Soun had not spent all of those years training with the Master and then the Maid Guy for nothing, and he quickly recovered.

 This put Genma at a large disadvantage. His wife had grown a good bit taller since he had married her, but he still had a respectably longer reach, but as long as she held that weapon, she had him beat by a good meter. He needed a way to distance her from it or he would not have much of a chance. Throwing rocks did not seem 'right' to him, and he did not exactly carry 'weapons'... but he certainly did not want to use what he did have!

 Nodoka was eying Genma as he nursed the lump on his head, preparing for the next attack, wondering what her 'non-practicing husband' would try next. She did not have to wait long before he charged in again, using an iron palm technique he tried to block and catch her weapon. She had charged it with her own ki though, as she always did when she used her bow like this, to reinforce it and keep it in shooting condition, and it was leaving small welts on his palms, despite the iron palm technique.

 They exchanged blows for a while, Nodoka using her 'staff' to attack and block, as well as kicks and punches. They had each landed a few blows, yet Nodoka's weapon gave her an edge that was clear to all present. Genma had been having no luck at all trying to dislodge her grip, and had been taking his lumps because of it. He needed to try something else.

 Genma had studied Fubuki's hidden items technique, and had gotten fairly decent at it if he did say so himself, maybe not as good as the maid, but pretty good. The problem was, he only had a few types of items in his possession at that time. His bit of spending money, a few bottles of sake, and the 'weapons' they used in his classes. Genma himself never really practiced this new style of his, but that did not stop him from teaching it to others, and apparently, rather well at that, but his style was 'anything goes' after all, and he could turn anything into a weapon. This however, was not going to help his case. He knew full well how bad it would make him look, but he needed something with range, and he was not going to throw his sake or money! Not if his life did not depend on it anyway, especially when he had other options, they were just not pretty ones.

 Ranma had been watching this closely, surrounded by his girlfriends, who were wanting to make out ...er, make UP for lost time. However, they were mostly well trained martial artists, and knew the importance of this battle, and with the honor of their schools and families on the line, they kept themselves in check, and paid close attention to the fight. Several of them were rather glad they did, and for a few moments they could not even blink. Genma had gotten some distance between them again, looking as if there would be another quick pause in the fight. What Genma did next stunned most of those in witness.

 Instead of resting, or jumping back in to the melee, Genma reached into different places in his clean white gi. He pulled various household items out from hidden places as he threw them at Nodoka.

 Nodoka was able to knock most of them out of the air with her bow, but a few of them got through. A feather duster grazed by her ear, a tea ceremony spoon hit her left hand, and she had to jump to avoid the toilet scrub brush. There was no way she was going to let herself be hit by that!

 Genma had been aiming for her hand, and only one of his attacks had landed true. Unfortunately, it was not enough to dislodge Nodoka's iron grip technique. Infusing their weapons with ki, not only strengthened their weapons, but also made them a living extension of their bodies. If she did not stop using it, the only way to sever her grip, was to sever part of her hand, and this was supposed to be a friendly, honorable match. Neither of them wanted to maim the other after all.

 Ukyo was one of those surprised by Genma's choice of weapons, she would have only been more surprised if he had pulled out painting supplies or stuffed animals! There was nothing against it in the rules they had laid out, but it was strange... Therefore, it did not take her off guard when Ranma started laughing.

 "You rail on, about how painting, hanging out with women, and having good penmanship is 'girlie', and you pull this?!?! Really? Throwing feather dusters, tea ceremony sets, scrub brushes, and cooking implements, that ISN'T 'girlie'?"

 Ukyo was not offended by Ranma's comments, she understood where he was coming from with them, but when Nabiki said, "Hey, what's wrong with using a feather duster as a weapon?" and then Kasumi added, "Do you not like tea ceremony, Ranma-kun?", Ukyo felt she just had to add her two yen worth, just to twist the knife. "Now you have a problem with using cooking tools as well, Ranchama?"

 Genma was glad for the distraction. He would rather let the matter drop, than to try to explain it away. It would likely just make things worse for himself anyway. It was bad enough that he embarrassed himself for a failed attack!

 Ranma did not expect to be attacked from behind like that, and was not prepared... "Urk! Um, there is, um, nothing is 'wrong' with it, it's just that with Genma-san's attitude about what constitutes being 'girlie' ...it just struck me as a strange choice of weapons. It seemed like a bad way to make the point... I don't mean anything by it of course! I mean ...I use playing cards as a throwing weapon..."

 "Really? I have never seen that..." Kasumi looked rather curious about the idea.

 "Well, I don't use real cards very often any more, none of us really use real weapons much, but I can, and have... If you would like to see it, we can give a demonstration later." Ranma held up a ki card, making it 'poof' as he winked at his girlfriends before realizing something. "Um, Fukibuki, what are you doing?" Several of the other young women noted the change in nicknames, and some of them were wondering if they might be getting one of their own in the near future... Then they noticed what Ranma had mentioned.

 Fubuki looked down at her hand, which was vigorously moving inside of Ranma's silk pants. "Um ...my service...?"

 Ranma tried to give Fubuki a stern look. "You know, there is a time and a place for everything ...and this really isn't it." She just looked cutely into Ranma's eyes. Ranma could do nothing except to sigh and accept it. He knew there was nothing he could do as the others cheered on the cute maid in his lap. He knew that any protest he might have made would have just gone unheeded. He had been through this before, many times before, so he just added, "We will need to have a talk about this later..."

 The fight had come to a halt, as Ranma was the only one left who was paying it any attention, including the fighters. Nodoka was watching them, cheering for Fubuki's success, and Ranma's manliness, not necessarily in that order. By the time Fubuki's head was bobbing up and down in Ranma's lap, Genma had to suppress a nosebleed.

 "So, I am worth stopping the fight over?"

 "Every time, but you did steal the attention of the judge from us..."

 "Ucchan, there is a fight going on, and you are the referee, why are you watching me? Am I the only one watching the fight?"

 "Why wouldn't I watch you? But don't look at me, they stopped fighting long before I stopped watching. Besides, this is much more entertaining..." Ukyo's expression slowly went from faux indignant to a lascivious one as she trailed off at the end. Fubuki had positioned herself to block the view of Ranma with her body and hair, from most angles, but Ukyo made sure to get a good view. She wanted to admire the maid's technique, and for a beginner, she seemed to have very good instincts. 'Kikyo should be watching this, where 'did' that miko go...?"

 Her instincts were so good in fact, that it did not take long before she acquired what she had been after. Shampoo was a bit jealous that she had not thought of it first. For some reason she could not recall, she had grown rather fond of that taste ever since they arrived in her airen's homeland... She was starting to think they put something in the water. For whatever reason, it filled her with a feeling of happiness whenever she got the chance. 'Maid-girl need learn to share...' Shampoo thought about this as the wheels turned in her head. '...maybe be cat-girl maid no is so bad, if that what maid do... Thought just cook and clean...' Then she thought of something else, and started kissing Fubuki, very deeply. This surprised most of them, none more than Fubuki herself.

 Strangely, Fubuki found she rather enjoyed it, this exotic girl was a very good kisser, second only to Ranma in her experience. The way her aggressive tongue forced its way into her mouth, probing around, was something Fubuki found rather exciting. While she belonged to Ranma ...and Ranma only, if this girl also 'belonged' to Ranma, she supposed that was not a bad thing. Working together might be ...very nice, very nice indeed.

 "Not even one day, and your maid is trained so well! Your date must have gone better than I thought! My son is sooo manly!"

 Genma had returned from cleaning his nose, grumbling. "That isn't manly behavior! Real men break things and fight, they don't .....do THAT!" Genma indicated the adventurous girls in Ranma's lap.

 Shampoo had already milked Fubuki for all of 'the taste' she could get and had just been having fun, but there was no way she could let that pass. "Ranma best fighter around!" No one insulted her airen's fighting ability with her around. After all, only the elders could provide a real challenge, and only a handful of them really had a good chance at victory in a one on one battle with 'her' airen. Shampoo swooned, thinking about how lucky she had gotten to be able to share her life with such a strong warrior. Sharing him with the others was not exactly her first choice, but she was finding that there were some really good points to it as well. There was certainly no point at which she could have said she was 'unsatisfied' with their arrangement. It was like a village and a family rolled into one. Sharing was not something she had been used to doing before they had shown up in her village that day, but if that was what the gods demanded of her to be with the strongest male she had ever seen... Well, she was finding that sacrifice easier to make every day. Not that it meant she was not going to fight her hardest to stay near the top of that pile though, because...

 "...Ranchama is an even better lover!" Most of the young women present, including Nodoka, nodded or mumbled variations of agreement. While not having had an actual, personal experience other than a certain massage some years ago, Nodoka felt she had seen and heard enough to have a reasonable idea to the truth of that statement. She had trained her son well.

 Genma just grumbled, he could not figure out what the appeal could be to having so many distractions from the art. It baffled him. He much preferred things that did not distract, like sake, and strategic games, like 'Go', which helped one develop strategies one could use in real battles! He was starting to think that his old buddy, Soun, was the only one left who understood... Bonds formed in the training pits of hell, were not easily broken, it seemed. "But, just look at the way the boy is being pushed around, it's just not manly!"

 "Really? To me, having so many beautiful young women who are working so hard to bed my son, speaks volumes for Ranma-kun's manliness."

 "You are no judge, how is a woman to know what is 'manly'?"

 "..." Nodoka was stunned, no one had ever called into question her views on 'manliness' before (at least not to her face), and based on what she had gathered in her talks with both men and women over the years, she felt she had been on the right track. "I am having a hard time thinking of who would be a better judge... Manliness is almost entirely based on what makes the male appealing to a female... In what way would a man be any sort of judge of that? Which of you here thinks women are the best to judge what is manly?"

 Except for Genma, who disagreed, and Kogarashi, who was abstaining from the vote, since his idea of manliness included things like being able to interface with a computer directly, everyone raised their hands. Genma saw his son had raised his hand, and knew the boy was lost to him ...for now.

 "...and who thinks men are the best judge?" Genma raised his hand. Nodoka managed to avoid looking smug. "As you can see, 'husband', you are out voted."

 Genma had wished Soun had been there, at least he would have had someone on his side, but his friend was covering for him in their classes, since his daughter, and only full time student, had not been home much this week anyway. Genma knew better than to say what he really thought about that bias vote, being that his vote was the only one that counted, since the women were obviously prejudice, and the boy was not only a minor, but compromised! There was no way those votes should count! Without someone who was impartial enough to mediate this, meaning someone bias to his side, he knew he needed to just change the topic, so he fell back on what he knew best... "So, are we fighting here, or what?"

 "If you insist..." Genma was surprised when Nodoka drew back the string on her bow as her hands began to glow and a glowing arrow appeared, ready to be fired. "Do you have any last words?" Not that Nodoka was going to fire a fatal shot, but it would end the discussion if she had it figured correctly.

 "As a matter of fact, I do. *STOP THIS NONSENSE!*"

 Nodoka froze to the spot. Ranma, Ukyo and some of the others were discussing how Genma had infused ki into his voice, similar to the way Ranma did on occasion. Genma took advantage of his distraction, and leapt in to tear away the bow, and landed a kick to Nodoka's solar plexus. His attack pulled Nodoka's arms apart, and moved the bow, but had again, failed to dislodge it from her hand.

 All of the onlookers groaned as the blow to her gut had staggered her back, and woke her from her daze. She had been unable to use her ki to shield herself from the damage, and that blow had hurt, a lot. Far more than she felt it should have.

 Having taken the worst of it for most of the battle, Genma was not about to let his advantage slip away. He disliked having to use these forbidden techniques, but he just did not have that many special techniques of his own to pull from. ...Not unless he wanted to start dipping into his new school, but that was something he liked even less, and he had not really practiced them all that much himself. Forbidden or not, at least this seemed to catch her off guard, and so far, it was working. "Dokuja Tanketsu Shou!" Genma lunged foreword, palm-strike lashing out, aimed straight for Nodoka's chest.

 Nodoka instinctively dropped out of the line of attack, twisting her body around, and knocking Genma's feet out from under him. She then threw her feet up, latching onto his shoulders, pulling him further off balance. Genma thought that the move seemed familiar, but he was not sure until she popped up behind him, delivering numerous attacks to his unprotected back... "Haku Dato Shin Shou!"

 "How do you know that technique?!?!? I sealed it away!"

 "You did not tell me that when you GAVE me the scroll..." Genma looked surprised. "What did you expect us to do with it when we went on a 'training journey'?"

 "I sealed it! What more needs to be said?"

 "Well, actually saying so, might have been a good place to start..."

 "You were not practicing the art at the time! How could I know? How many others did you teach this to?"

 Both Ranma and Ukyo stood up taking the pose before they vanished.

 "What ever could you find so wrong with it, that you would seal such a stealth technique away?" Nodoka looked confused.

 Genma froze. "Uh... Nothing, never mind!" 'Great... all three of them know the counters...'

"Was it just because you designed it for thievery? Do you assume that because you could not resist the temptation, that others could not either? That there were not other, more manly ways such a technique could be used?" 'Like peeping!' Nodoka resisted drifting off into a fantasy, and stayed focused on the situation in front of her.

 Genma was almost beside himself, he was just amazed at the question... "Uuuuh... Well, yeah, who could resist the temptation?"

 Ranma could not help interjecting at this point, so a disembodied voice replied to the query. "Um, I am going to say, anyone who knows that stealing is wrong..."

 "Of course I know that stealing is wrong, who said I didn't?"

 "You just did..." Twisting the knife into someone who she felt deserved it, was one Nabiki's favorite things to do so she could not resist responding. "Weren't you paying attention?"

 Ranma's disembodied voice was heard again. "Filling one's self up with what is meant for others, will leave one more empty than ever."

 "Spoken like someone who has never gone hungry a day in their lives. Weakness, pure and simple." Genma's shoulders slumped before dropping into the Umi-Sen Ken's 'ghost' stance. 'Only one thing for it then...' He knew that the softer art, was the superior art, and the only way to win this fight was to match it. The irony of this when compared to his argument completely escaped Genma.

 Nodoka's ki sense was not as developed as her son's, nor even Ukyo's, but she was no slouch. She felt Genma gathering his ki as he dropped into the familiar stance, and she matched it, yet, she was having a difficult time sensing her husband's exact location. She then remembered something Ranma had taught her during their ninjutsu training. Every living thing produces ki, even the plants and animals, to find a hidden opponent, you must look for the lack of ki... She readied herself, as she sensed a frustrated spot of 'nothing', she made her move, wondering if that was how Ranma always knew she had been 'documenting his progress', like the good mother she was.

 Genma was at a disadvantage. While his ki senses were quite developed, his emotional control did not get near the use, and Nodoka had always been a paragon of calm. Even before she practiced the art and learned proper ki use, she had been, on occasion, able to sneak up on him without seemingly trying. This made her exceptionally good at this technique. She used to, unknowingly, hide her ki even while cleaning the house. The only time he was really sure of where she was, had been when she ran the vacuum. 'Vacuum... vacuum blades... ki vacuum... THAT'S IT! Look for the ki vacuum!' He found it strange to note that he could only sense one vacuum, despite the two teens not having reappeared yet, but he, as usual, did not waste time thinking any longer than necessary, and went straight into his plan.

 Most of the onlookers could not follow the 'action', not being able to track the 'voids' very well, if at all, but after a moment, a clash was heard, and moments later both combatants had returns to their original places, returning to view.

 Genma's gi top was hanging open, revealing his rather muscular chest, and slight potbelly. Genma, however, did not notice this, he was too busy holding up something else for the rest to see, a black lace bra, and matching panties.

 Nodoka noticed they were hers and reacted slightly, before holding up Genma's belt. She imbued the belt with ki, and began to swing it around like a staff, and occasionally sending one end out to strike at Genma, like a whip.

 Genma danced around, dodging the belt attacks, as he threw the pilfered panties and bra back to their owner. He was actually ashamed of himself, something that did not happen often. He had sunk low many times in his life, even he could admit that, but taking a play from his old master was a new low, even for him. He stopped running, and decided to use one of his dreaded 'final attacks'.

 "Saotome final attack: Crouch of the Wild Tiger!" Genma dropped into the crouching position. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. That was an awful thing to do, I am sorry! You win. I just can't do this anymore..."

 "So, you are ready to be judged then?"

 "Don't say it, I judge myself. I will be leaving, now. I am sorry."

 "Oi, Genma-san! Wait!"

 Genma turned his head, as he sensed something flying at him. He snatched it out of the air as he hopped away, running as fast as he could. They unfolded as he ran. It took him a moment to realize that they were boxer shorts, and a few more moments before he realized that they were his. Genma was unable to brace himself before he hit the ground after a stunned fall from a roof a few blocks away.

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Nodoka stood in the 'ring', holding her undergarments, surrounded by friends and family, stunned, as she watched her husband as he ran away, in a very unexpected show of remorse and humility. "...but, ...I was going to tell you, that you could stay... You did ...well."

 "Do you want us to go after father, deliver your verdict?" Ranma said as he and Ukyo reappeared, holding hands.
 
 "No, no, I suppose Genma-san will return to us in time. Perhaps my husband just needs some time alone... Kogarashi-san, would you be a dear, and keep an eye on my husband from the shadows on this 'adventure'. If things get too bad, I am sure you will know what to do. Remember, you are not to be seen."

 "Kukuku... Of course goshujin. Maid Guy ...IS ON THE CASE!" Maid Guy took off in the general direction Genma had gone.

 "Are you sure this is what you want, kaa-chan?"

 "No, I am 'really' not sure. I do not know what I want anymore..."

 "If there is anything we can do..."

 "...just, please, do not leave me as well."

 "We are building a house, we are not going anywhere."

 "Really? I had not noticed..." Sure enough, looking over at the formerly empty corner of the lot, a very large tent had been erected, to hide the work.

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

R anma had been wanting to have a talk with Fubuki, but the girl had made herself scarce after serving dinner, he had even been having trouble tracking her ki. Her skills at keeping a low profile were quite impressive. Nabiki, on the other hand, had no trouble finding him.

 "Raaanma-kuuuun, I just got a call. I have a case to investigate, and I was wondering if you would care to join me..."

 He figured that he could always have his talk with Fubuki later, it was not really that important anyway. So, if Nabiki needed help, then... "Sure, what's up?"

 "There has been a 'ghost' sighting at an amusement park today, they want me to find the cause, and get rid of it."

 "Didn't you say that you did not believe in ghosts."

 "I don't. I have been on hundreds of these types of cases, and the cause is always been something mundane. However, I thought you might find it entertaining, educational, and fun." Nabiki offered Ranma one of her sardonic smiles. "We go in, find out whatever is freaking people out, and eliminate what, or whomever is causing it. Sometimes it just requires some redecorating, and other times we have to stop criminals, you up for it? Since most of the others are busy now, and I do not like to send people on cases alone, just in case, I was hoping you might keep me company."

 "We could bring Ucchan and the gang if you are worried..."

 "I do not think it will come to that, my biggest fear is boredom."

 "Okay then, let me tell the others where we are going."

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Ranma was surprised that they ended up at the same place Fubuki had taken him on their date. 'I didn't notice anything in there when we were here earlier...' He was doubly surprised when they walked up to the 'haunted house'.

 As they approached, Nabiki leaned in and whispered, "I would bet they are just trying to use the lure of a real ghost to attract business. Some people love the lure of the supernatural."

 Ranma wasn't sure, but he certainly did not notice anything at the time... Surprise lead to mild embarrassment, which he hid well, when he heard the story of the 'Sexy Ghost Maid, Attending to the Master'. He leaned in, and as discreetly as he had been able, whispered to Nabiki, his version of the story.

 Nabiki had to fight to keep from blushing, when she heard Ranma's side of the case, as she listened to the clients. It was a testament to her emotional control that she was able to refrain from laughing on the spot.

 Once the case had been explained to Nabiki, she took charge, forming a plan of action. "Okay people, we are going in there to 'exercise' these ghosts. They may put up a fight, so no matter what you hear, do NOT come inside until we tell you it is safe..." Nabiki turned dragging Ranma inside before locking the door.

 "I thought you said you don't believe in ghosts? What kind of exorcism can we do? You know the 'cause'..."

 "You know I don't believe in them. But we came out here, we might as well make them feel safe, and earn our money. It's better than telling them the truth in this case ...I think. Besides, you actually embarrassed me out there, I almost blushed in front of the clients, and you, Ranma-kun, are going to make that up to me." Nabiki grabbed Ranma by his waistband, and led him back toward the 'sighting area'.

 "What exactly did you have in mind?"

 Nabiki slowly unbuttoned the top of her blouse. "Maybe you could start with one of your famous massages, and we can see where that leads us..."

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 The sounds and screams that were heard from within the haunted house terrified the people outside, and none of them dared to intrude. They did not want to be cursed after all.

 Several hours later, the two disheveled teens exited the building and Nabiki made a pronouncement. "This building is clean! ...of spiritual activity, you might need a mop though... Ectoplasm ...everywhere!"

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-< br>
It had taken Ukyo a while to find Kikyo, and when she did, her heart sunk. The former priestess was huddled in an empty room, in the underground area of the newly constructed tunnels. She was huddled in a corner of the dark room, staring at a full backpack, with tears streaming down her face.

 Ukyo rushed over to her side, softly putting her arms around the other woman, holding her tightly. Kikyo could not say a word, but clung to the younger girl, sobbing into her chest. Ukyo just let out a calming aura, providing support for her friend, and just waiting for her to be ready to talk. It did not take long before Ukyo was weeping along with the other woman.

 The two young women held each other in darkened silence for more than an hour before either of them were able to speak. "So, Kikyo-san, what is going on?"

 "Is it not obvious? I am leaving here, for good."

 "Aw, come on, Kikyo-san, even if it were not for the curse, where would you go?"

 "I will do the same thing I have always done, wander around, helping people wherever I am able. Perhaps some temple will take me in again..."

 "What about Ranchama, are you willing to give up on that?"

 "It is apparent that Ranma-dono will not feel for me, the way I have always dreamed, and it is too painful to watch every other girl we meet flaunting their relationship in front of me." Ukyo was still trying to figure out how best to respond to that, when Kikyo continued. "It has only been a few days, and already ...even the maid, in front of everyone...!"

 "Well, to be fair, they have known each other for many years, from writing letters back and forth, but I do see your point."

 "...It just felt like that maid was rubbing my face in it..."

 "No, your face was not the one Fubuki-chan was rubbing in it... Sorry, I couldn't help it...."

 Kikyo's face sunk even further. "No, it is fine. I am used to being laughed at..."

 "Oh no, I wasn't laughing at you, I was laughing with you..."

 "Was I laughing?"

 "No, and that is the problem..."

 "Really? About what part of this should I be laughing, exactly?"

 "None of it, but not thinking about it, would do wonders, for both your mood, and your situation."

 "I know, but it is just so hard..."

 "Look, you don't really want to leave, we don't want you to leave, and even Ranchama doesn't want you to leave, I know it. So please, will you stay, and let us help you?"

 "Well, it's not like any of your tricks have worked so far!"

 "They have so been working! ...slowly."

 "Yes, but they are 'quickly' embarrassing me more and more with every step! Running around sometimes less than half dressed, only to be ignored anyway! Being walked in on, or walking in on Ranma in the middle of various things! Some of the things you have had me doing..." Kikyo trailed off, thinking about the various plans they have tried, blushing as she remembered it all.

 Ukyo grinned as she lowered her voice. "Isn't it fun?"

 "Well, um, ...yes, but..."

 "What is it Kikyo-san, what is it yah truly want...?"

 "I... I ...just don't want to die alone again!"

 "Aw, Kikyo-san, I promise you, Ah'll NOT let that happen, yah gotta give meh jus' a bit more time... Try ta cheer up, fer meh, being depressed is not going to help you win points, that is fer sure. Not that I blame yah fer it, believe meh, Ah know what it's like, Ah spent ye'rs bein' depressed when Ah thought mah father wanted ta throw meh away... What?" Kikyo had raised her eyebrow listing to Ukyo fall into her Kansai accent. "Oh, sorry, Ah slip into mah old dialect when Ah git emotional. Ah'm not sayin' yer in th' wrong, ya'll have ever' right ta be depressed. ...It jus' don't help." Ukyo put her hands on the older girl's shoulders. "But not afta ta'night! Ah'll take care uh it, and ya'll have no more worries... Ya'll jus' wait here, Sugah!" Ukyo turned and exited the room with an Osakan fire burning deep within her eyes, and her battle aura blazing brightly.

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-
"I am sorry goshujin-sama, it's just, after that ride, I thought... I am sorry! I will always pay more attention to the situation! Just ask me to attend to you, any time you want! I will not take the initiative again!!!"

 "No, no, no, just make sure we are more alone, or at least not doing something important... When it comes to that, my needs are 'always' met, that is 'never' a problem... Look, I want you to feel you can do whatever you want, whenever you want to do it, but we need to have some guidelines. This fight was a matter of honor, and that must be respected. I may not be shy, but I thought most people here were against public displays of affection..."

 "They are, but I would do 'anything' to make you happy goshujin-sama!"

"Just be yourself. Do the things that make you happy."

 "But ...I was..."

 "Look, I know ofukuro's twenty-third rule says 'To refuse to eat, when the dinner-table is set, is a grave insult', but that does not really apply in this case, as I have already eaten at your table, and that isn't what you were offering me..."

 Fubuki blushed hard at the thoughts that evoked, giving her ideas for another time. "Yes I was... That offer is 'always' open for my 'true' goshujin-sama." She wanted to lean in close, and look up at his face, but resisted due to the situation.

 "Well, I cannot deny it, that thought does make me happy. However, we need to be mindful of our surroundings. We do not want to cause a distraction like we did today, especially during such an important event. Do we have an understanding?"

 Fubuki shyly looked at the ground. "Hai, goshujin-sama... I understand."

 "Good." Ranma leaned in and kissed Fubuki. "Thank you very much, Fukibuki. I look forward to your care."

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Ukyo had been waiting in the hallway until Fubuki practically floated out, grinning like a madwoman, and completely lost in thought, mostly about the feeling of warm lips upon her own. Ukyo slipped in behind the plucky maid, extending her arm, and forcefully pushing Ranma back into the room.

 Ranma had not seen Ukyo or many of the others since he had gotten home, and almost never had he seen her acting like this. Ukyo was not her usual enthusiastic self, actually she looked quite upset.

 "Where have you been, Ucchan?" He switched to a sarcastic tone. "I thought my 'head concubine' was supposed to attend to me at all times..." He gave Ukyo a wink and a smile, to lighten the mood. It did not work.

 "As Ranchama's head concubine, little Ukyo-tan's been takin' up Ranchama's slack."

 "My Slack? What do you mean?"

 "It's funny yah mentioned 'rule twenty-three', 'cause there has been one table set for yah fer some time, an' yah've done nothin' but insult it ...gravely. Like it or not, Kikyo-han loves yah, and yah've neglected the poor dear. Yer not bein' fair! Kikyo-han is not at fault fer th' situation, an' should not be punished 'cause uh it. Yah owe th' woman a chance. Do yah know what Kikyo-han was doing 'fore we talked?" Ranma shook his head. "Do yah wanna know?" Ranma nodded. "Crying, o'er Ranchama, 'cause yah won't acknowledge Kikyo-han's feelings! Yah've been SO callous, Kikyo-han was about ta try 'n' leave us forevah, FOREVAH! Can yah really live with yahself if that happened? 'Sides, what kin'a uh life kin it be, when any time either of them gits splashed with hot water, one of them will vanish?"

 A sad look crossed Ranma's face. "No Ucchan, I couldn't, and I didn't know that, but I know it isn't fair, I know it isn't right, but it is hard for me too. There is no good solution here. No matter what I could do, I would feel bad."

 "This isn't all about yah, Ranchama! Other people are sufferin' too! Kikyo-han loves Ranchama, and Ah know Ranchama cares for Kikyo-han. Why make this more complicated than it needs to be? If Ranchama feels bad either way, why not try the way that makes less people unhappy?"

 Ranma's head hung even lower. "It's just so easy for you."

 "No Ranchama, it's not. It's not easy at all. This whole conversation has been a nightmare for meh, almost as bad as the ones Ah've had with Kikyo-han. Ah do not want to hurt yah, but Ah see yah both hurtin' already. An', the last thing Ah want ta do is ta tell yah that yer in the wrong... Ah love Ranchama, an' Ah want us all ta be happy, together..."

 Ranma cheered up a bit, and pulled Ukyo into a warm embrace. "But, the fact that you still will do so, is one of the reasons I love you. You know I always want you to come to me when you think I am making a mistake, when I am in the wrong. Your opinion is important to me, you can see things I cannot, and look at things from a different perspective, and as usual, you are absolutely right! Thank you. If you promise to always be there to help me to be a better person, I promise I will give this a fair try."

 Ukyo's accent began to fade as she started to calm down, and Ranma wrapped his arms around her. "Yah know Ah will always be there for yah ...whenever Ranchama wants."

 "You, Ucchan, I could never live without."

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Ranma took his time on his way to where Kikyo was still waiting. It was not that he wanted to keep her waiting, but he had a lot to consider on his way down to the room. He even separated his consciousness, to let himself enter a meditative state while he walked. It made him feel as if the world slowed down, and gave him more time to explore his feelings. What he found was that he really did care about Kikyo, and the thought of her leaving filled him with a hollowness that left him feeling empty, and gave him a dark vision of the future. A feeling of dread filled him. He did not get these intuitive flashes very often, but he had been through enough of them to know they were worth heeding. If Kikyo left like this, something very bad would happen to someone he cared about. He was not able to sense neither anything more specific than that, nor even who it was that would suffer, but he did not need more to know that it was something that must be prevented!

 After, what seemed to them both, to be a very long time, Ranma opened the hidden door to the newly constructed, mostly empty room, and what he saw horrified him even more than his vision. Kikyo was still in the corner of the room, her hair was disheveled, and her beautiful face was puffy, showing signs of very recent, heavy tears. His heart shattered. "Kikyo-san! Please, stay with us! I have been terrible to you, and I am very, very sorry! Please, let me make it up to you!"

 Kikyo's tears had stopped before Ranma had entered the room, but not long before. She had been having doubts in the effectiveness of whatever Ukyo had planned to do, considering how well the girl's other plans had fared in her case, so she was quite surprised when she sensed Ranma nearing her location. What he had said surprised her even more, but what had surprised her the most was how she felt about hearing almost exactly what she had dreamed of. Something was nagging at the back of her mind, and it was bothering her... "Ranma-dono, why did you come? What did you have in mind?" Her depression masked the surprise, keeping her voice flat.

 "I came to apologize, to try to start making up to you, all of the pain I have caused you. Is there any way you can forgive me?"

 Kikyo thought she had figured out what had been nagging her. "You are only doing this because Ukyo-san said something! You do not really care about me!"

 "There is very little truth to that! While it IS true that Ucchan and I talked about this ...again, that talk was not directly why I am here. All that talk did was open my eyes to how much my actions have been hurting you, and to how much of a debt I now owe you because of it. I have wronged you in many ways, and I 'need' to make it up to you. I DO care about you, I always have, not exactly the way you wanted, but I care a great deal. Ucchan told me you were planning to leave, and it filled me with grief. Grief of how sad we, and especially I, would be if you left, grief at how we failed you, and most of all, grief at the thought of you wandering around, without a home! This is ALL my fault and I am truly sorry for what I have done to you and for how I have made you feel. I promise you, that I will give you a fair chance, and though I know I do not deserve it, can you still do the same?" Ranma had gotten down on the floor, prostrating himself before Kikyo as he spoke. "I promise you, I will never overlook your feelings again, it was not a conscious decision on my part, and now that I am fully aware of it, and the pain it has caused you, I swear I will never let it happen again. I have been horrible to you! I was blocking it out, and while I couldn't see it myself, that was no excuse! I have wronged you, more than I probably even realize. Is there anything I can do to get you to stay, at least long enough to give me a chance to show you I mean what I say?"

 "I do not know Ranma-dono, you have no idea how difficult this has been. Do you know how hard it is to watch the man you love, in the arms ...and other things, of another woman, while being ignored yourself?"

 "Well, not exactly, no, because I do not love any men that way, but I DO watch the WOMEN I love in the arms of other women all the time, of course I love those women as well ...usually. I know most people will not see that the same way, but considering I am a woman sometimes as well... though being ignored is not something I have a lot of experience with, sorry..." Ranma and Kikyo's face both went through various emotions at that, and they rarely matched. "Look, I DO know this has been hard on you, that IS my point, I want to show you how sorry I am, I may not know what I want, but I DO know what I do not want. I do not want you to go, and I will do anything I can, to prove to you that I mean it. So, will you stay with us, will you ...go out on a date with me?"

 "No, you are right, I do not consider that the same thing, primarily because in those situations, unlike my own, you knew that all of those women loved you, and wanted to be with you. I have had no such assurances."

 Ranma put his arms around Kikyo, hugging her tightly. "I hereby, officially and with all of my heart, assure you, that I, from this moment further, will never intentionally ignore your feelings. I recognize that you are a woman, with feelings for me, and I acknowledge and accept those feelings. I do care about you a great deal, and I never want to see you hurting again. I was in denial, and I am sorry."

 Kikyo returned the embrace. She had wanted to hold out, she was not completely convinced his feelings were genuine, and not just pity, but she was unable to resist the embrace she had so longed for. She almost hated herself for it, but if pity was all she could get at this point, she was almost willing to take it. "I know, your mother made it difficult for you..."

 "No, I cannot blame ofukuro-chan, this is completely my fault. I bear one hundred percent of the responsibility for this. I should have seen how you were feeling, I should have acknowledged your feelings and your pain, but I was blind, and was not able to face the truth that my actions were the cause of your pain! I was too busy worrying about my own feelings on the matter, to have considered yours as much as I should. I was selfish, like a spoiled child, and it was not fair to you. It was very ...unmanly of me. I could not admit that I had any part in your misery, or that it was in any way, my fault. I could only see how hard it was on myself, I ...have failed you." Ranma bowed his head further. "You were counting on us, and I let you down. I cannot deny that the idea still feels strange to me, but I swear to you, that I will work on it 'with' you, not without you ...if you will let me. I swore I would take care of you, and I have not done a very good job of that. Please, is there anything I can do to make this up to you, to get you to forgive me, at least in part?"

 Kikyo gathered her courage, and kissed Ranma ...on the mouth! Much to her joy, he made no move to resist, and even returned the kiss after a moment of surprise. "Oh Ranma-dono, I was never upset with you, only with our situation. Let us go for a walk. We can talk about this and watch the stars..."

 Ranma took her hand in his as they both smiled and made their way out of the room, holding hands.

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Ranma and Kikyo spent the rest of the night, walking, holding hands, and chatting, occasionally stopping to sit and look up at the stars. Kikyo's heart raced when Ranma scooped her up, and took them up to a rooftop, for a better view. Eventually they made plans to go out on an actual date the next day.

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

Fu buki had given most of the photos from her date with Ranma to Nabiki to put in their scrapbook, or whatever she felt was best, but she had kept one of them for herself. It was one moment she wanted to remember for the rest of her life.

 Completely ignoring what the other girls were doing, she returned to her room and pulled a small frame out of her old suitcase. A frame that her grandmother had given to her, that was not to be used until she found the right person. She removed the back of the frame, placed the photo of herself and Ranma within, as she had been instructed, and was surprised when it flashed as she returned the backing of the frame. Being a gift from her grandmother, she was not worried about it though, and placed the small silver frame upon her desk.

 She looked down at the picture of her sitting in Ranma's lap, facing him with a look of bliss on her face. She rubbed her thumb across the words engraved upon the frame as she read them aloud. "My honored master, I pledge myself to you, for now and forever. My service is my life, and my life is yours!"

 Had anyone else been there, they would have seen Fubuki go into a trance that seemed, to her, to last for an eternity, as the frame emitted a globe of power that enveloped Fubuki completely before returning to normal, scant moments later, leaving Fubuki asleep in the chair hugging the picture frame.

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

Ranma and Kikyo had awoken in a roof garden in the wee hours of the morning, long before the sun had even thought about rising. They had fallen asleep looking into the sky, having chatted for hours about a great many things. The last rays of the moonlight shined through the wall of roses surrounding the rooftop and highlighting the fact that they were still holding hands, causing them both a slight blush.

 After a moment of looking into each other's eyes, Kikyo finally broke the silence. "A very good morning to you Ranma-dono."

 "And a good morning to you as well, Kikyo-san. Did you have a nice nap?"

 "Never better." There was a smile in their gaze, as well as on their lips. "We should probably try to get back before anyone notices that we have been gone all night..."

 "Oh, rest assured, they know... and they will probably be none too happy with me, either." Ranma chuckled.

 "Then we had best hurry." Kikyo stood up, pulling Ranma along by the hand she still held.

 "If you insist." Ranma scooped her into his arms, jumping into the sky.

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Ranma and Kikyo were getting a strange feeling as they snuck their way through the tunnels under their home. It was unusually quiet, and there was a distinct lack of ki in the immediate vicinity. They were starting to worry as they approached the room they shared with their friends and only felt one sleeping ki signature. They carefully crept up and opened the door, poking their heads in, wondering what they would find.

 As the two peeked into the room, what they saw was completely unexpected. Instead of their normal bedrolls, there was a fancy canopy bed with the curtains drawn. Silently they snuck over to open the curtain. Inside they found Kasumi, sleeping peacefully. She looked adorable, in her translucent nightgown and trace of drool on her mouth. The happy look on her face made them not want to wake her, so Ranma felt out even further with his ki, finding that everyone else he was used to being there was home, just not in the tunnels as he had been expecting. Obviously something was up, but waking Kasumi seemed to him, to be a crime against nature.

 He had intended to just leave, but something about the scene pulled at him. He could not resist the urge. He leaned down, and kissed Kasumi on the cheek. The instant his lips touched her, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, holding him in place. "Oooooh ...Ranma-kuuuuun... I have waited for so long..."

 Kasumi still appeared to be asleep and possibly dreaming, if her actions were anything to go by. Ranma was having a hard time breaking free of the grip without being forceful and turned his head, his eyes begged for help from Kikyo.

 Kikyo remembered a story she had heard in the village that bore a striking similarity to this situation, and it made her quietly laugh. "Well, that is what you get, 'Prince Charming'." She stuck her tongue out at Ranma, winking at him as she whispered. "You made your bed, now you have to lie in it."

 Ranma took the cue, and climbed over Kasumi to lie in the center of the bed as he did his best not to disturb the sleeping goddess. He patted the other side of the bed, and looked up at Kikyo. "Fine, but you should lie with me then."

 Kikyo gawked at the turn of direction, but she was ecstatic. Not only was Ranma inviting her to join in his bedroom games, even if it was only to cuddle, but he was doing so without Ukyo pushing him to do it! It was intentional and deliberate on his part. She was starting to get the feeling that things just might work out after all. It was a good day, and she would need to thank Ukyo for it later ...but first.

 Ranma rolled over into his back, and Kasumi rolled with him, lying on her side, facing him. Kikyo climbed in on the other side, and the three of them cuddled up for a short while.

They stayed that way until Kasumi had snuggled even closer, kissing Ranma's neck, her eyes fluttering open in the process looking a bit hazy. She rolled over on top of Ranma, leaving a trail of kisses as she wrapped her arm around Kikyo as well. The other two young people were both surprised at Kasumi's boldness this morning, not that either of them particularly minded. Kikyo was still thrilled to have been included at all, not left on the sidelines, and there was just something about this other woman she could not resist. She did not understand it, but seeing Kasumi happy, filled her with joy, and she wanted to do anything she could to make sure that she stayed that way. So it was that when Kasumi had kissed her way across Ranma's chest, and made her way to Kikyo, the priestess returned the kiss with a passion she had thought reserved for only one other.

 Ranma was certainly not expecting this from the normally meek young woman. Lying there, with the two beautiful young women making-out on top of him, Ranma just stroked their hair, enjoying the love that was in the air.

 Kasumi began to alternate between kissing her two bed mates, and soon, Kikyo also 'alternated', trying to get in as many kisses with Ranma as she could manage.

 Ranma was enjoying himself, when Kasumi gazed into his eyes and he felt he needed to say something. "Well, aren't you 'affectionate' this morning, Kasumi-nee-chan?"

 Kasumi's eyes gazed lovingly into Ranma's own as she responded to his query. "Is it morning already? By the way, not that anything is not possible, but when did you get dressed again?" Ranma and Kikyo both looked confused, Kasumi just shrugged. "For that matter, when did I put my nightgown on again? Considering how many pieces you left it in earlier, I am surprised I would get it back together, but anything is possible in a dream I suppose."

 Kasumi started nibbling on Ranma's ear, preventing him from responding quickly, leaving it to Kikyo to do the honors. "While that is very true Kasumi-dono, this is no dream."

 "Surely you jest?" Kasumi had a look of shock on her lovely face, as embarrassment began to creep into her cheeks. She looked to Ranma, her eyes pleading with him to assure her that she were still dreaming.

 "I am sorry Kasumi-nee-chan, but this is real. Would you like me to pinch you to make sure?"

 "But ...we, you ...Kikyo-san ...how?" Kasumi's face lost all color for a brief instant, before her whole body blushed. "Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my... but, if this is 'not' a dream, why are you two in my room?" 'Not that I mind at all.'

 "Um, but nee-chan, this is 'our' room, although I admit, I 'was' wondering why your bed was in here..."

 The events of the prior evening began to filter back into her memories, memories of Nabiki and Ukyo dressing her in this thin nightgown, fixing her hair, and even a bit of make-up, while the other girls moved their beds to Nabiki's room, and hers down here. Kasumi was embarrassed at the time, and even more so now that she was remembered it in front of Ranma, whom they were trying to push her into sleeping with. It was not that she was opposed to it per say, they had convinced her it was worth it, but she was shy about such things, and did not want to impose... She remembered waiting on Ranma to come home, with nothing to entertain herself but the very steamy romance novel they had left her. She had learned a few things that night, things she intended to put into practice one day, things she had dreamt about all night long. Things she had thought she was still dreaming about... and most embarrassing of all, what she had been about to do a moment before. It was a testament to how far she had grown that she had not yet fainted, upon this realization. She had finally managed to get out, "Oh my, it was nothing, never mind... So, um, how are you two doing this fine morning?"

 Not letting go of either of them, Kikyo smiled again. "I have never been better. This has been the happiest day of my lives..." Not wanting this to end, Kikyo picked up where Kasumi had left off, and before long, Kasumi overcame her embarrassment enough to once again, become an active participant.

 The three young lovers enjoyed the joint embrace before Kasumi decided it was time to start their day, so they gathered their things, and wandered up to the empty furo. The room had been prepared, so they assumed Fubuki had already been up, and was likely making their breakfast. Ranma had rather expected Fubuki to be waiting on them to arrive, but figured it was part of another of their 'plans', and decided to just enjoy it. He knew the rules, when women had their secrets, it was usually better not to pry. They would let him in on it when they were ready. Although, all things considered, it seemed that several 'plans' were working at the same time... As long as everyone was happy, Ranma did not mind.

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

B reakfast had ended and Nabiki was heading off to school. When she opened the door, she saw something she had not expected, a woman, with many packages, fumbling with them and herself, mumbling in a voice far too low for Nabiki to hear. "'Morning, may I help you?"

 The befuddled woman looked up at Nabiki, looking quite frazzled. "Um, looking for packages, have Kasumi-sama for delivery, I special ordered!"

 Nabiki just stared at the woman for a moment. "Oooooookay, so, you have special delivery packages for Kasumi-nee? Is that it?"

 The woman nodded vigorously. "Yes, special made Kasumi-sama, for I." She held up one of the boxes she had with her, trying to smile the best as she had been able.

 "How long have you been out here?"

 The woman thought about how dark it had been when she arrived as she stood there shaking her head and smiling. "I ...no idea."

 Nabiki could only hang her head. This was not the first time one of her sister's fans had stopped by after all. 'I do NOT have time for this....' They were usually not dangerous, and now that Ranma and company were home, she had little to worry about there. Her big sister would not need her or Fubuki to look after her as often now, and Nabiki would have to get used to that fact. She was as happy about it as she was melancholy. It was not that Nabiki did not have an abundance of things to keep her busy, but she liked being needed. Ever since they had lost their mother and met Fubuki, the three girls had grown to depend on one another, and the two shy girls had always looked to her for leadership. However, now that Ranma was home, he would likely fill the role of guardian and protector far more often than her. Though the loss of control did make her a bit sad, so far, it was looking as if the trade-off would be well worth the ride. Besides, she still had her club's activities ...plenty of people still depended on her, and they were waiting!

 Nabiki leaned back into the house with a smile. "Nee-chan! ...Delivery!" Who knows, this woman might have still been there when she got home from school if someone did not do something.

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Everyone had been impressed with the quality of work from the seamstress, and the speed of her minor alterations. Kasumi was more embarrassed to wear the skimpy, short 'dress', than she had been nude, in front of Ranma and the other girls, and they had all bathed together before. This new dress however, was too flashy, and 'in your face' with how much it showed off. It showed so much skin that she was not even able to wear panties with it, never mind a bra! Kasumi was not sure if she would not rather go out naked as well, the thought of wearing this dress in public both terrified her, and excited her in a way that she did not understand.

 Kasumi was happy when the alterations were complete and she could remove the outfit, she had felt like everyone's eyes were boring into her, and it was making her feel weird. She had been worried about what the next outfit would be, and was relieved to find that it was a formal kimono, a nice, old-fashioned, conservative, kimono, traditional in every way, one that would completely hide her figure from the world ...once they put it on, and adjusted all of the many layers.

 Ukyo had paid special attention to Kasumi's reactions, and made a mental note to look into it later.

 Several of the girls could not understand the idea behind bundling of so many layers. It seemed like a lot of trouble, especially when it was not particularly cold out, but none could deny the final effect, nor Ranma's reaction to it. Kasumi looked stunning. Ukyo and Kikyo had done her hair, make-up, and even added hair decorations while the seamstress did her work.

 "Kasumi-nee-chan! ...You look ...amazing!" There was something magical about a beautiful woman in a kimono. With Kasumi's, now calm and elegant aura seeping into the room, the effect was amplified, and the blush from Ranma's complement just set the whole thing off. To many of their eyes, Kasumi was literally glowing, and Nabiki would be quite happy that Nodoka had caught the whole thing on film, since she was not there to watch it first-hand.

 Once the woman had started to do her work, and was talking about clothes, all of her nervousness had vanished. It had been replaced by an excitement of a different kind. She was passionate about clothing after all, and seeing others appreciate her work, just made her mood soar.

 They had discussed the issue and had decided to have her make more clothing for them, including the altered uniforms. It had taken a bit of explaining before the woman agreed to that project, wanting to make sure they were going to use her work to be delinquents. She wanted to build a good reputation, and not one among bad people. Once they had convinced her that they did indeed have a good reason for it, and permission from the headmaster, she agreed, and her excitement from being appreciated for her skills returned. The special needs of her new clients were posing a new challenge to her skills, even if they did have most of the details worked out already. The fact that she had just seen magic work for the first time, barely even fazed her in contrast to her joy. She had worked with strange requests before, back in her high school's fashion club, and had always had suspicions about supernatural beings being real. Some of the unusual materials they had used made a lot more sense to her if she thought about them being for monsters or superheroes, a 'costume' for actors would not need to suddenly stretch, or survive being stabbed! And here she was, once again able to put that unusual skill set to use. It looks as if her newly hired shop-help were going to get more hours soon, so that she would be able to work on these projects at home! 'What a great day to be alive!'

 Fubuki had gone and gotten her and Kasumi's old uniforms for reference, and Ukyo and Shampoo had gotten their plans to discuss with their tailor. While the four of them were planning their outfits, including a new coat for Ranma, a fancier version of his current one, in the same style as the school uniform, with their crest on the breast pocket.

 While most of the others were chatting about clothing designs, where to place hidden pockets, and other such things, Kikyo pulled Kasumi aside to speak in relative privacy. "Kasumi-dono, I wish to ask of you a personal favor. Will you hear me out?"

 "Of course, Kikyo-san. What can I do for you?"

 "Ranma-dono has asked for my company on an outing. This will be the first such event since promising to treat me as a normal woman, and not a part of Nodoka-dono. In truth, this will be the first such outing for me, ever, and I am a bit ...nervous." She thought back on her various rendezvous with Inuyasha, and concluded that they were definitely NOT the same thing! Those almost compared to talk she had shared with Ranma the night before. While they were romantic, as with almost every other time she made one of those comparisons, Ranma came out on top. Inuyasha was just not good with his emotions. He was what Nodoka called a 'tsundere'. While that could be cute, and she had no real room to talk, Ranma's willingness to share, and his openness when they talked, was something she found that she really enjoyed. She still loved Inuyasha, but she knew he was long gone, and while Ranma did remind her of him, that was only one of the things she liked about him. She saw him as his own person, and not a shadow of the past. In a way, that made her even more nervous ...of how she would react if left alone with him for too long... "...I was hoping that you might be willing to join us..."

 "Oh no, I couldn't, that wouldn't be right. I would not wish to intru-"

 Kikyo interrupted in a forceful whisper. "It would be no intrusion! Please, we have not spent much time alone before, I am afraid of what I might do! As the only other one who has not slept with Ranma-dono, and after this morning, I felt a bond with you. I think you might be the only person I can trust with this ...the others would try to push me. I am just not sure what to do! Please, Kasumi-dono, you are my only hope!"

 "Like my sisters did with me last night... no, I understand."

 "Besides, I believe I owe you a debt after I apparently prevented your ...'private time' last night..."

 "It is fine, I am not really sure I am ready either. It is a big deal, and not something anyone should just rush into doing. This is something we should all do in our own time. You have my support with whatever you need. I just hope Ranma-kun does not mind..."

 "As do I. We worked very hard to get to this point and I do not wish to ruin it..."

 "I am sure it will not be that bad, Ranma-kun strikes me as a very forgiving man. Do you not agree?"

 "Oh yes, that kindness is one of the things I like best about Ranma-dono."

 "One of?" Kasumi winked with a tone that would have done Nabiki proud. "You will 'have' to give me a list later... but for now, we should decide what to wear. So do you know where we are going?" Kasumi was starting to get excited about going on another date so soon, even if it was more in the capacity of a chaperone. As Nabiki would say, it was an opportunity, and she could use it to help the two of them get closer! Was 'helping others' not what life was all about after all?

 "No, I do not. As for clothing, should you not wear one of your new outfits? Ranma-dono got them for you, would it not be rude to not wear one?" Kasumi blushed at the thought of wearing either of them out in public.

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

Ranma had been surprised that Kikyo had insisted on Kasumi coming along on their date. Considering how much trouble she had gone through to get this 'alone time' with him, it was the last thing he would have expected, but if that was what she wanted, he would not deny her. This was her day, and anything she wanted to do was fine with him.

 Kikyo had been enjoying the day as Kasumi and Ranma showed her many of the wonders of the modern world. She was utterly amazed by it all. They had toured museums and art galleries, and then they went to a library and some books stores, she could not believe how much knowledge and culture were available to this modern society. One could learn almost anything one would want, and she was looking forward to being able to consume it all. She was starting to think that she would truly enjoy being stuck in this modern age of information, and not just because Ranma was here, but also for her own sake, there were so many wondrous things to learn. They had even avoided being splashed by either hot or cold water so far, it was still, a very good day.

 Kasumi had been visibly disappointed when Ranma had not let her make a lunch for them that morning, but he had insisted that he wanted to take Kikyo to an actual restaurant. They had been to a few small shops in China, but those had been in small villages, and did not compare, nor did the food carts they had seen since they had returned. Kikyo had been impressed with them nonetheless, but Ranma wanted to show her a better example of modern dining.

 Ranma had worn a nice shirt again, planning for this, and yet, still felt rather under-dressed compared to his companions. Kasumi was still wearing her new kimono, Kikyo was in her formal miko outfit, and everywhere they went, shouts of "Moe!" were heard, occasionally followed by the thud of a body hitting the ground. They were having so much fun together that they paid it no mind as they tuned out the outside world.

 Ranma led them to the nicest looking place he could find to have lunch. Considering his attire and their lack of reservations, due to not knowing where they were going to be for lunch, Ranma had been fully prepared to bribe the Maitre D' to seat them, but they had taken one double-take at Kasumi, barely even noticing Ranma, and led them to their 'best table'. Ranma had been seated at the back of the private booth, with the two women sliding in on either side of him.

 By the time their server had arrived, Ranma had noticed that Kasumi had grown less happy, and could tell she was still disappointed about not being able to cook for them. "Sorry if this is a problem, but my companions would really like to see how things work here. Would it be possible for us to have a tour of the kitchen?"

 "Well, honored customer, that would normally not be allowed." He looked up at the trio, and rethought his position. "But, seeing as how it is Kasumi-sama, I will see what I can arrange." The man ran off to speak with the management.

 "Ranma-kun, we should not be putting these nice people out like that."

 "I know it is rude, but I thought that it would be nice for Kikyo to be able to see how things work in a professional kitchen. I know I always enjoy seeing skilled people work. We might learn something..." Ranma knew that Kasumi would not be happy if he told her that he was doing this for her, some things needed to be handled very carefully. "...or better yet, maybe we can teach them something." He favored Kasumi with a smile and a wink, as he saw the slight look of excitement on her face. Kasumi might have been a paragon of calm, but Ranma was finding that he could read her subtle body language loud and clear. She was so like his own mother in many ways, yet, it did not make him uncomfortable, like other reminders had in the past. Perhaps that experience had softened him to the idea, conceivably her aura could be affecting him more than he thought, or maybe it was something else entirely, he was not sure. All he was sure of was that seeing Kasumi's mood brighten, even minutely, filled him with a warmth unrelated to the heat from the two young women who were pressing against him, each holding one of his arms and one side of the menu the three of them were sharing.

 They barely noticed any time passing before a nicely dressed man came running into the restaurant at top speed, almost knocking the host over in the process. They spoke for a moment before the Maitre D. pointed toward their table and the man started walking over, as calmly as he was able. Ranma built up his ki, pumping it into his arms and legs, so he could grab his companions and move if it became necessary. It did not.

 "Greetings honored patrons. I am the simple owner if this meager establishment. My staff has told me that you would like a tour of our humble kitchen."

 "Well, we would not want to cause you any trouble."

 "Oh, it is NO trouble, no trouble at all. 'Please', come with me."

 "Thank you very much. You are far too kind." The three young people gracefully slid out of the booth, and followed the short man into the back. All of the eyes in the restaurant were on them, and a murmur began to pass among the crowd. This went unheard as the teens as they passed through the preparation area and into the noisy kitchen.

 The owner showed them around, pulling over any employee who got within reach for an introduction. Kasumi had been paying special attention to one man, who was beginning to cut meat. "What ...are you making there?"

 "I am slicing the meat for tonjiru, with noodles."
{*Tonjiru = Pork Soup, with vegetables.*}

 "With noodles, you say?"

 The owner interjected at this point, his voice full of pride. "Yes, it is a house specialty! I came up with it one day, and people seemed to like it, so we put it on the menu here. Would you like to try some?"

 "Yes, very much so." Kasumi was careful not to disturb anything, as she ladled a small amount into a small tasting dish.

 "Would you like to see how it is made?"

 "I believe I have figured it out. May I?" Kasumi indicated the knife. The worker looked up at his boss, who nodded excitedly. Kasumi accepted the knife, and slowly began to cut the meat, carefully and neatly. Her motions slowly sped up as she got used to the surroundings. By the time she had finished cutting the meat, her hands were moving too fast for most of them to see. To them, it seems as though scallions, carrots, and konnyaku were vanishing from one place and appearing in another, perfectly cut.
{*Konnyaku = A gelatin, similar to tofu, but made from a type of potato, instead of beans.*}

Ranma soon joined in, and they quickly took over the whole kitchen, doing the work of their entire staff in half of the time. This was a good thing, as most of them were unable to do more than stare, as the two martial artists were quickly moving from one station to the next, with food and utensils flying through the air.

 Even Kikyo was impressed by the show, she had never seen anyone cook like that before, never mind in a kitchen such as this, or while wearing a full kimono! So much shiny metal everywhere, this new era was a rich one indeed! She would have been embarrassed by her own gawking, had everyone else in the room not also been doing the same thing. It looked as though Kasumi and Ranma were practically dancing, as they performed their 'kitchen kata'. It was as if the two of them had been cooking together for years, in this very kitchen. They were in perfect synchronization, with neither of them missing a beat, playing off of each other's movements, and always ready to assist the other when needed. It was a beautiful thing to watch, a beauty matched only by the presentation of their dishes and the cooks themselves.

 Kikyo was a bit jealous over how perfectly suited the two of them seemed together, it was as if they were meant to be together. Technically speaking, this was her date, yet she felt like the intruder, and strangely, it did not bother her as much as she would have expected. She decided right then, that she would allow nothing to prevent the two of them from being together! Never in the history with which she was acquainted, had a more perfect match been made. These two needed to be together, and she was going to make sure that happened! ...Even if it meant she lost out. She would not be able to live with herself if she came between those two.

 Before long, all of the orders were made, and they, and the kitchen, were spotless. The owner and staff could not believe their eyes. All of them working together could not have done half as well in twice the time. Some managers would have asked their staff why they could not work like that, but he had built this business from the ground up, starting with a noodle cart, and he knew better. What the two of them had done was superhuman!

 Kasumi was rather surprised herself, not only was Ranma 'amazing' in the kitchen, but he had been able to read her like a book. It had been as if he knew everything she was going to do, before she knew it herself ...again, and it still kind of freaked her out. She was not sure if it was a good or a bad thing, but it was however, an impressive feat either way. Even if Ranma had not shown her the curses, she would have believed in magic at that point, and Ranma its master.

 Ranma had taken Kasumi's hand when the on-lookers began to applaud, getting her to take a bow with him and soak in her well-deserved praise. The crowd had grown, as the wait-staff had come back to watch when they were not needing to serve their tables, many of whom had been taking pictures, most of which would come out quite blurry.

 One of the wait staff stumbled when he saw how clean their kitchen was during a lunch rush. He recovered his balance quickly, but not the tray he had been carrying and four teacups were airborne and heading right for Kikyo followed by many gasps. Faster than anyone there could see, Ranma used a body substitution technique to switch places with Kikyo, earning himself a face and chest full of scalding water and teacups, but saving Kikyo and his mother some inconvenience. He quickly caught the cups before they broke on the hard floor, and held them out to the server.

 Kikyo barely even noticed anything before the steaming cups were hitting Ranma, and she was on the other side of Kasumi. It took a moment for her brain to process what had happened, and how Ranma had saved her from triggering the curse and merging back with Nodoka, not to mention what could have been a bit of a burn to her. Luckily, Ranma's handsome face was quite resilient, and he would recover before his shirt dried, but that did not make the sacrifice any less meaningful to her. "Ranma-dono, you saved me, thank you!"

 "Glad to help, Kikyo-san. It is the least I can do." The owner was about to tell a member of his staff to go get him a towel, when Ranma surprised them all by pulling one of his own, along with a clean shirt, out of his coat and began to dry off, removing his coat, and wet shirt. This caused the flashes of camera to start going off again, and a bit of drooling came from many of the women ...and a few of the men on staff.

 After signing autographs, including one for the owner's daughter, and many apologies, they were led back to their seats by a group of the staff, who all bowed and thanked them again for the help, and the show. They all placed their orders, feeling confident that they knew what they would be getting.

 The murmurs in the dining area did not die down, with many openly staring at the trio, and others talking about enjoying the best meal they had ever eaten there. None of the trio paid any attention to it, all lost in their own concerns. Ranma had noticed that Kikyo had been giving him a bit more personal space since they had returned, and while that might have pleased him not long ago, now it worried him. He reached out and pulled her closer to him.

 Kikyo tried to resist, she tried to protest, but when the two of them looked into her eyes, she melted, leaning her head on Ranma's shoulder, waiting on their food to arrive. They were formidable opponents indeed. So they remained, until several of the staff each brought out a tray of food, with extra portions for all of them.

 Ranma was getting ready to dig-in when he realized that neither of his dates appeared to have any intention of letting go of his arms, and while he could have come up with an alternative, he chose to restrain himself and see what they had planned. The women in question were not about to give up control of the arm they had in their possession, so they each took turns feeding Ranma ...and then each other.

 They had a very enjoyable lunch, in spite of them feeding Ranma more than twice as much as they had fed each other, they were all quite full. They were waiting on their bill when the owner came over to their table. "If I could get your signatures right here, and your permission to hang this on our wall, then we would consider everything paid in full. I could never charge you and your friends." The man held out a photograph of the three of them before they left the kitchen. He had sent the photographer out to the speedy film developer, to be enlarged as much as they could, as quickly as they could. As they nodded and signed the 'poster', he moved to the side, revealing their server holding a plate, with a yin-yang shaped desert atop.

 It was quite fancy, the only things Kikyo had ever seen that were more so, were the 'ice cream sundaes' they had eaten a few times in China. There was a wonder in her voice as she asked, "What is 'that'?"

"That, my honored guests, is the Chocolate Mousse of Harmony, sure to soothe any discontent, and bring joy and music into the lives of all who eat it. I used to work for a French cafe, where I learned to make desserts, and where I created this recipe. It is half dark chocolate, and half white chocolate mousse, with chocolate shavings, white and dark chocolate whipped cream for the dots, topped with my special raspberry sauce, with raspberries on the side. May it please your palate."

 Ranma was impressed, he rather enjoyed making desserts, the fancier the better, and this was something he wanted to learn. At the moment he still had not regained control of his arms, and there were only two small forks with the large cake anyway.

 The owner ran off to get his signed photograph framed once he saw that they were enjoying his special dessert.

 Kikyo had fed Ranma the first bite, but after a couple of turns Ranma and Kasumi had both noticed that she had stopped feeding anyone but herself. They saw the look of a crazed madwoman upon her face, as she quickly devoured as much of the dessert, as quickly as she could. It was the best thing she had ever eaten in her life. She needed more, MORE!!!

 ...And then there was none. Kikyo looked around frantically, looking for any possibility of another bite. It took the combined calming aura of both Ranma and Kasumi to finally snap her out of it. Kikyo tried to apologize, but Ranma and Kasumi just chuckled and giggled respectively. After a couple of calming hugs, and many reassurances that they were not upset that she ate almost the whole dessert. She was unable to believe that eating that quickly was even possible, never mind her actually doing it.

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 Kikyo felt strange, yet rather euphoric, she was not sure if it was from the amazing dessert, or the company she had been with all day, but she was feeling good. She was genuinely enjoying herself. Despite her earlier convictions, she had been unable to resist lavishing Ranma with affection. Every time she had tried putting some space between them, Kasumi would shoot her a disappointed look for which she had no defense. It probably did not help that she really did not want to resist.

 By the time they had made it home, she had no problems following along, as Kasumi led them into the tunnels, and up to her bedroom, recently returned to its normal state. She even helped as Kasumi started removing the many layers of her kimono...

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-
Ukyo had felt Ranma and the other's return, and had been waiting on them to announce their presence.

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 ...She got tired of waiting, and set off in search for them. Before she had gotten far, Fubuki had joined her, wanting to welcome her master, with Pai and Shampoo not far behind.

 They followed their ki, not bothering with the tunnels, since Soun was the only other Tendo home, and he was supervising classes in Genma's stead. They were a bit surprised to find them in Kasumi's room, and more so by the noises coming from within. Ukyo carefully opened the door, trying to be quiet out of habit before they peered into the room. They peeked in and saw a naked Kasumi and Kikyo, sitting on the bed, facing each other, as they kissed and squirmed. They could not see Ranma, but Ukyo knew he was under there... somewhere, and she thought she had a pretty good idea of where.

 "Is this party by invitation only, or can anyone join?" They were all taken aback by the 'look of death' Kikyo gave her at that moment. "Maybe we will come back in a few..."

 They all paled as Kasumi used one of the few techniques she had learned from her father's style. Kasumi's head appeared to turn all the way around to face them, and oh, what a face it was. Her neck twisted and stretched, revealing deadly, glowing yellow eyes, and a snake like tongue, darting out of a mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth. Her hair seemed to move on its own, as if each lock was a living thing, waiting for its chance to strike. Her voice was loud, booming in fact, and very ...annoyed, but yet, strangely polite. "*IF YOU DO NOT MIND, GIVE US AT LEAST AN HOUR, PLEASE!*"

 The four young women tripped over each other trying to be anywhere except there. They did not, however, miss Kasumi's sweet and innocent voice return an instant later. "I am terribly sorry for the interruption Ranma-kun. I should have thought to lock the door. Now, where were we...? Ooh my, YES, right thERE!"

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

Omake 12a

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

"In all these years, your attitude about women has not improved at all. Not even after those young ladies showed you how strong a woman can be."

 "You're soft, and you made the boy soft. Dancing around, cooking, painting, ...making tea, next thing you know you are going to tell me you taught the boy flower-arranging!"

 "Would that be so wrong?"

 "YES!"

 "If you cannot see that Ranma-kun is clearly quite manly, in every possible way, then I believe that we need some 'time apart'."

 "You've been gone twelve years, you've only been back three days!"

 "Yes, it's not working out... that wasn't 'apart' enough. This time, I think, we need to ...see other people."

 "You mean, you didn't?!?!?"

 "Of course not husband, I take my word seriously. What about you? Did you 'see' anyone else while we were gone?"

 "Of course not! I have no interest in such things!"

'...so unmanly...' Nodoka shook her head.

 "What?!?"

 "You and I have a VERY different view of what is, or is not 'manly', and that is all there is to say about it."

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

Om ake 12b

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

"I was investigating a story, about a defect in the harnesses on certain roller-coasters, and it seems that the defect is true. I was flung out of the car, and into the air. Thought I was going to die, but I was saved, caught in the air, by some sort of ...super, man."

 "Could we get your name please, an ambulance is on its way for you..."

 "I am fine, thanks to that guy. I am investigative journalist, Lein, Loisu Lein..."

 Turning back to the camera, the first reporter said, "Thank you Lein-san. Now, back to you in the studio."

 The in-studio reporters were in a panic, of their own. "You heard it here first folks, the choujin has returned! Lock your doors, bar your windows, hide your women! The great choujin is coming to town!!!"

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

Omake 12c {WARNING: This omake contains unadulterated 'Genma Bashing', but like all omake, it's just for fun, well, except maybe, for Genma.}

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

Genma returned to view with Nodoka's undergarments in his hands. He held them forward for all to see. His arms crossed in front of him, still holding the unmentionables as he took a horse-stance. A goofy look crossed Genma's face behind the dark sunglasses he was wearing for some reason as he began to bounce around in what some people would one day call dancing and shouted, "Oppai, Genma Style!"

 Most of the young people present were doing their best to cover their eyes and ears.

 Nodoka was transfixed, as a war broke out in her head, she was unable to figure out if this action was manly or just annoying. The man had no rhythm or vocal ability. On the other hand, he did manage to pilfer her panties and bra without her noticing it ...or even disturbing her outfit! It was a very manly move, one she wanted to make sure that Ranma learned (even if she had to teach it to him herself!), and yet these movements, combined with the look her husband was giving her, bothered her to her core. She could not explain it. It was not that anything he was doing was particularly bothersome. She assumed that it must be some sort of ki attack designed to annoy her, to throw her off during their fight. It was the only thing that explained it.

 Even so, Nodoka would not forgive herself for what she did next, for many years to come. It was something she has sworn that she would 'never' do to ANYone, if it were not a 'life or death' situation, and even then, only if there were NO other options. Her grandfather had explained to her what it felt like to him, when she was young and had bragged how she had done so to win a fight with an older bully at school. When she was older she learned more about it, and seeing the look on her friend's face as another girl hit him there. ...It was something she never wanted to even 'see' again, never mind causing it, but 'cause it' she did. Everyone present collectively winced.

 Nodoka's foot returned to the ground, as her hands snatched her lacy garments out of the air, since Genma was too busy holding his family jewels, and trying to figure out where he was going to land, to keep clutching them.

 "Yes, Uncle Genma has no style ...and proved it once again." Kasumi just watched as her 'instructor' flew away.

{I am sorry to everyone who read that.}
-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

Omake 12d

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

Kas umi was being interviewed at a local convention, where she was helping Nabiki sell their dolls until her event started.

 "Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us, Kasumi-sama. Is there anything else you would like to tell anyone out there?"

 Kasumi took the offered microphone as she turned around, cutely showing off her maid's uniform as she pulled Kikyo and Fubuki up to join her. Kasumi thought that Kikyo was looking quite charming in her skimpy miko outfit. Her perfect shoulders and long legs were quite visible through the slits in the sleeves and with the short skirt. Kasumi wanted to make sure that everyone got to see just how adorable the young-seeming priestess looked. From somewhere nearby, music began to play, and the three of them started to dance. Fubuki pulled a second microphone for herself and Kikyo, its stand, and karaoke machine out from her own uniform. Fubuki switched on the music, starting Heart's 'Magic Man', and the young women started to sway with the music before Kasumi began to sing.

A warm late night, not long ago,
When I was not so strong, you know,
A pretty man came to me,
Never seen eyes so blue...

And so I could not run away, it seemed,
We'd seen each other in our dream.
It seemed like he knew me,
He looked right through me, yea...

'Let's go home, now' he said with a smile,
'You don't have to love me,
But, I can make you fly.'
 {Ukyo had stepped out of the shadows and joined them on stage.}
But try to understand, try to understand,
Try, try, try, to understand, he's our magic man.

{Kasumi stepped back with the others to sing back-up, letting Ukyo sing the lead for a moment.}

Winter nights we sang in tune
Played inside the months of moon
Never think of never
Let this spell last forever

Well, summer lover, passed to fall
Tried to realize it all.
 {Kasumi rejoined Ukyo, taking over the lead vocals.}
Papa says he's worried
Growing up in a hurry, Yea

{Ukyo joined the others singing back-up and dancing.}

'Come on home, girl.'
Papa cried on the phone.
'Too soon to lose my baby,
Yes my girls should be at home.'
But try to understand.
Try to understand.
Try, try, try to understand.
He's a magic man, Papa.
Aaa, got the magic hands.

'Come on home, girl'
He said with a smile,
'I cast my spell of love on you,
A woman from a child.'
But try to understand.
Try to understand.
Ohh ohhh...
Tryyy, try to understand.
Try, try, try to understand,
He's a maaaaaaagic maaaan.
Oh yea...
(Ooh)
He's got the magic hands.

 After the applause faded and the crowd began to disperse, the three women started to deal with the growing line at their stand.

 Kasumi looked around and asked, "Where 'is' Ranma-kun anyway?"

 "With Nabiki-sama, I believe..."

 -!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

 "Cum one, cum all! Experience the 'magic hands' for yourself! Only ten thousand yen per minute! Don't forget, if you fill your stamp cards, you get the extra special bonus!"

 Ranma looked over at Nabiki who was effectively 'pimping' him out. "Why, exactly, am I doing this again?"

 Nabiki grinned evilly, thinking about her club's finances. "Because it's manly! Even your mother thinks so." Nabiki pointed to Nodoka who was waving her card and pushing people out of her way to get into line since this was another omake. "See...?"

 Ranma tried to face-palm himself hard enough to knock himself out. ...He failed.

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

End Omake

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

A uthor's Notes

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

- Fubuki and Kogarashi - The anime got cut short with only a short season, and the manga translations stopped midway through volume three out of thirteen (well, some say 12-14). So, in order to explain some of the strangeness in the series, we have had to extrapolate and make a lot of stuff up. Starting in this chapter, some of that will slowly leak out, such as the picture frame. Some of what I do in here will likely, seriously contradict their canon, but that can't be helped. I will take what I know, and take what I think are the most fun ideas we come up with for why those things are what they are. To anyone who knows their canon beyond that (and what is on the wiki), I am sorry. If you are one of those people and want to send me any spoilers you know beyond that, so that we can contradict them as little as possible, it would be appreciated.

 -Husband and Wife - There are many words that can be used to refer to your own spouse, or someone else's, the more common of which, carry some negative connotations.
Shujin {Your Husband} and Goshujin {My Husband}, as all of you should know by now, also mean 'master'. For what should be obvious reasons, they is falling out of use in the modern age.
Danna {(1) master (of a house, shop, etc.); (2) husband (informal); (3) sir; boss; master; governor; word used to address a male patron, customer, or person of high status; (4) patron of a mistress, geisha, bar or nightclub hostess; sugar daddy; (5) (Buddha) alms (san:); almsgiving; almsgiver;} is occasionally used for 'my husband'.
Oku(san) {My Wife}, is spelled with the kanji meaning {interior; back, rear; inside the house; one's heart, true feelings}. Thanks to 'back, rear' alluding to the wife standing behind her husband, and the 'inside the house' meanings, this is starting to fall out of use some. It is still in use, though the derogatory meanings are falling out of use. An interesting side note, in Chinese, the character means {mysterious, obscure, profound}.
Kanai {(hum) (my) wife; inside the home; one's family}, has the same problems.
Kamoji {Mother;Wife} This is an archaic term.
Keisai (Humble) {My Wife}
Tsuma {(archaic) my dear; dear; honey; garnish (esp. one served with sashimi); embellishment; Spouse, Consort} This can be used to address either partner. The same kanji can be said as 'otto' which means {husband}, and sounds a lot like 'otou' which means {father or husband}, and 'oto' {younger brother}. This character in Chinese means {man, male adult, husband; he, she, they, those, this, that}.

 -Entering and Leaving a home, office, or some other places.
 -Leaving-
Itte Kimasu/Itte Mairimasu - 'I am leaving.' or 'I am going.' This is said when leaving home, work, or other places, and implies that you will be returning at some point. Itte Kimasu is the informal form, and Itte Mairimasu is the humble form. In response to this, those who are staying would say...
Itte Rasshai - 'Please Go.' with an understood 'and please return'. It is used like 'Please have a safe trip.' and implies you expect them to return.
 -Entering-
Tadaima - 'I'm/We're back/home.' This is said when entering the home, to let others know you are there, and to see if anyone else is home. It is, therefore, not entirely uncommon to say this even when you expect to be alone. Sometimes out of habit, and other times to see if anyone is there that you were not expecting.
Okaerinasai - 'Welcome Back.' This is said in response to 'Tadaima', above. It can also be shortened in informal situations to 'okaeri'.

 - Wakaru - To understand.
 Wakarimashita (wah-kah-ree-mah-sh'tah) - I Understand.
 Wakarimashita ka? - Did you understand?
 Wakarimasu ka? (Wah-kah-ree-mas ka?) - Do you understand?

 -Greasing the palm
This practice is not common in Japan, nor is tipping, almost completely unheard of, in fact. The culture surrounding the practice of 'tipping' is very different. Workers are paid a full wage (unlike here, where most make just over $2 an hour, except in a few states), and are expected to work hard for it, always giving their best service to every customer. Tipping is looked at more as bribery, and is taken as insulting. You are paying for good service, there is no reason to pay more. There are places where tipping is expected in Japan, but they are few, the rules are different, and a restaurant is not the place. You 'can' tip a tour guide, though it is not expected. The most common place to tip would be in a high class Ryokan (traditional inn, see something like Hanasaku Iroha for more on them). In a Ryokan, you may leave a tip, in an envelope, if your stay was especially pleasant. However, one would never give the tip to someone directly. Trying to tip directly is most likely to be refused, and quite likely to do the opposite of what you had intended. Service workers in Japan have been known to chase customers down to return forgotten change. {In the case of a foreigner, the worker might simply keep the tip, in order to not have to try to explain the concept of 'no tipping' with the language barriers}. As someone who grew up in the culture of tipping, and whoes life has depended on them, it can be difficult to comprehend why it would be insulting, but it could be that by offering it, you are implying that they 'need' it, and could be the equivalent of calling them destitute.

 -Konnyaku is a gelatinous 'cake' made from the starch of a root vegetable, similar to a potato or yam, also known as konjac (konnyaku), 'devil's tongue', 'voodoo lily', 'elephant foot', or 'snake palm'. It is similar to tofu, and can come in a brown or almost white varieties, depending on how much they 'refined' the ingredients. It is mostly flavorless, and will take on the flavor of whatever it is cooked into.

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

* CHARACTERS USED*

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

{ Here I will list all of the important, non-Ranma characters, used in the chapter and where they are from.}

Kogarashi the "Maid Guy" - the title character from Kamen no Maid Guy
Fubuki - The soon-to-be 'Maid Guy Tamer' from Kamen no Maid Guy
Kaede Tenjoji - The headmaster of Hakureiryo Academy from Ladies vs. Butlers.
Mikan is her 'assistant' and the Head Instructor.
Mariana Nankyoku 'The Black Rose' - Penguin's mom, Kodachi's aunt, and Kaede's oldest half-sister. She is an abusive person. (she was not in the story, but mentioned).
Mori - A maid, who will later, like her mother, to whom she bears an uncanny resemblance, likely work for the Amatsuka family, in GJ-Bu.
Pai Chan - Taken from Virtua Fighter.
Yume - A cute girl with long pink hair. She is from the game/anime, They are My Noble Masters (Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de).
Anastasia Mistina - A strange friend of Yume, and a minor character from the same series. Her friends call her 'Mii'.
Keiko Inamura - Another friend of Yume and Anastasia. The 'normal one' in their group. A.K.A. 'Kei'.
Natose - Yume's Personal attendant, and the head of security for her family's home.
The Colonel (Taisa in Japanese) - Taijiri Yasushi - The head butler of Yume's family.
Yukie Mayuzumi - A shy girl from Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai! {*Seriously, Fall in Love with Me!*} The story was an alternate reality spin off of They are My Noble Masters, and this is the version of Yukie from the 'Noble Masters' world, though she did not appear in that story, I am saying she existed in the world. They shared some characters, so I figure they had to all exist in some form.

Hisho Fukumi - A member of the Fuma clan, just a bit older than Ranma. Her name means; "Hisho - (1) secret or hidden place; (2) (euph. for) woman's genitalia; (3) the underworld; the other world" Fukumi - implication; hidden meaning; latitude; atmosphere; tone; sentiment; inclusion. It uses the characters for 'hold in mouth; cherish; contain' and the number 'three'."
Hijo - Hisho's younger brother. His name means 'hidden' 'help/assist/aid'. He is a year or so younger than Ranma. {They are OC}