HERE WE GO AGAIN - a Ranma 1/2 Fanfic (continuation)
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Don't sue me, OK? I don't own these, Rumiko Takahashi and Viz do.

***

Prologue: A new face and a new curse
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Kasumi hummed to herself as she washed the dinner dishes.  In the background
she could hear Ranma and Akane arguing as usual.  She winced as she heard a
crash and saw Ranma fly out the window.  Kasumi sighed, and finished the
dishes.  "I guess some things never change," she said, drying off her hands.
She then heard someone yelling her name.  Ranma.

"Hey, Kasumi!  Come here, quick, someone's hurt!"  Onna-Ranma soprano voice
seemed to silence everything.

Kasumi's eyes widened.  "Oh my," she gasped.  She grabbed her first aid kit
(always a good idea to keep one handy in this house) and ran to the front
gate.  She heard Akane and Nabiki pounding down the stairs behind her.

At the gate, a young man lay on the ground at the front gate, surrounded by
Onna-Ranma, Genma (surprisingly NOT a panda) and her father.  He looked like
he had been stampeded by horses.  Kasumi could see he was young, and
handsome under the wounds.  He had long, straight dark brown hair that lay
like a halo around his head.  He seemed reasonably well built, but he had
the soft look of one not used to hardship.  His clothes were scorched, but
of good quality.

"I was chasing Happosai, and he got in the freak's way," onna-Ranma
explained.  "I don't get it, I've never seen him hurt anyone this badly by
one of his little bombs."

"The master went too far," Genma said.

"Yes, Ranma, the master went too far," Soun Tendo seconded.  "This poor boy
is no martial artist.  He never had a chance.  Master Happosai broke the
code."

It's a little understood fact that martial artists have an uncanny
resistance to damage and insanely effective recuperative abilities.
Unfortunately, they tend to forget that others do not.  This led to a code,
common to all martial artists, for use when dealing with normal humans.
Essentially, the rule is one of minimalism.  Use the least amount of force,
no killing, no maiming, that sort of thing.  The lawyers hate it, though.

The man stirred. "Ranma?" he whispered.  Kasumi, busy tending his wounds,
smiled at him.

"Just lie still.  You've been hurt very badly." The man shook his head, and
struggled to rise.  "Stop that! Ranma, come here and make him lie still!"
Ranma-chan sat beside her and held the man down by his shoulders.

"Please, you must tell me," the man said faintly. Kasumi bent her head
closer to listen.  "Is this the Tendo Dojo? Is Ranma Saotome here?"

Kasumi looked at him, surprised.   She glanced at Ranma.  "Why, yes it is,"
she said.  The man smiled faintly.

"Oh goody," he sighed.  And fainted.

"Oh dear," Kasumi sighed.  "I hope this isn't more trouble."  She continued
treating the man, and a light rain began to fall.  "Whoever he is, he wanted
to get here," she told the others.

"I wonder who he is," Ranma asked, standing.  They gathered a few steps away
to let Kasumi work in peace.

"Probably someone who wants to kill you," Akane muttered.

"HEY!  I haven't done anything to him!" She scratched her head. "I think.
You think of anything, Pop?"

Nabiki looked down at the young man.  "He's a cute one.  Maybe he wants to
marry you, Sis.  I hope not, for his sake."

Her father, now in Panda form, held up a sign.  "Beyond me." Just then,
Kasumi gasped. Everyone looked to where she was bandaging the man, and
stared in amazement at the beautiful, battered girl on the ground.

Nabiki scowled.  "Oh great.  Another one."

***

Kasumi came down from the guest room/infirmary.  "It wasn't as bad as it
looked," she said to the waiting group. "She'll be in bed for a few days,
but she should be able to tell us why she wants to kill Ranma when she wakes
up."

"HEY!" Ranma objected.  "I didn't do nothin' to her.  Him." He scowled.

"You had to do something,"  Akane insisted, "why else would he want to find
YOU?"

"I didn't do nothin' to nobody!" he shouted back at her.  "Besides, you
uncute tomboy, what good is it gonna do just sitting here guessing?"

"Raaaannmaaa!" Akane growled, grabbing a hammer.

"Excuse me?"

Everyone looked to the stairs, where the bandaged girl was standing
unsteadily.  "Maybe I can explain?"

Kasumi looked at the girl, a slight frown on her face.  "Ranma, help her
down." She  started grabbing cushions and setting up an area for the girl to
lay.  "Give me your cushions, I want her to be comfortable.  She doesn't
need to aggravate her condition."  Everyone silently obeyed.  Kasumi may not
be a threat, but when she commands, you obey.

The girl winced as she sat, then leaned back into the cushions with a sigh.
"Thank you," she said.  She squired a little on the cushions, and relaxed.
"I'm sorry I'm such a bad patient," she apologized, "but I have to explain."
Kasumi noticed the girl's Japanese was adequate, if a bit rusty.  Everyone
else sat down.

The girl took a breath.  "No, I'm not here to kill Genma." Some tension left
the room.  "Or Ranma."  A lot more tension left the room. She smiled
lightly.  "I'm here to steal Tendo Akane and make her my bride."

"OH NO YOU'RE NOT!" Ranma and Akane yelled at once.  Ranma jumped up, and
Akane grabbed a hammer.  They started to advance on the surprised girl, who
began to giggle.  Ranma and Akane stopped and looked at her in amazement.

The girl started to laugh harder and winced.  She continued giggling, her
eyes dancing with mirth. Nabiki also smiled.  *So, he has a sense of humor,*
she thought to herself.  *Interesting.*  The girl saw Nabiki smiling and
winked at her. Nabiki, started, scowled at first, then she smiled back,
cautiously.  *I may like this one,* she thought.  *If he lives.*  "Oh, you
two, it was a joke."

"Oh, he was right, that was fun," the girl gasped.  "On my way here I asked
for directions at this Nekohanten place.  A guy there filled me in on you
two.  Nice guy.  Blind as a bat though.  I should have believed him though,
that was almost suicidal."

"Mousse," Ranma muttered.  "Enough jokes, spill it!  What do you want?!"

"Ranma!" Soun scolded.

"No, he's right," the girl said.  "I supposed I stalled enough.  So,
where should I begin?"

"How about your name?" Nabiki suggested.

"Oh, I forgot!  Nahaki Tenno, pleased to meet you."

***

After the introductions were completed, Tenno continued.  She spoke softly,
yet everyone could hear her clearly.  "I'm going to tell you how I was
cursed," she began. She looked sadly at Ranma.  "And I have some very bad
news.  I'm sorry to do this to you, Saotome Ranma, but you must know."
Ranma kept silent, but the suspicion he felt showed on his face.

"I used to live here many years ago.  In fact, Tendo Kasumi, I think I went
to school with you for a year before I moved to America.  My father was
hired by an American pharmaceutical firm.  He was successful there, coming
up with numerous valuable products for the company.  That was, until he
heard about Jusenkyo.

"My father became obsessed with the curses.  He went over to China, and
gathered large samples from every spring.  He couldn't believe that they
were magic, and spent years trying to figure out how they worked. It cost
him his job, my mother, his life, and my manhood."  Tears began to glisten
in the girls eyes, and she fought them back.

"My father spent horrendous amounts of money on his research at home," she
continued.  "I began to squirrel away as much as I could, hoping to stop him
from impoverishing us.  I was mostly successful.  I gathered quite a lot of
money, and hid it from my father.  When he realized he had no more money, he
seemed to come out of it.  He went back to working on real projects.  But
once he made enough to finance a few more years of research, he was right
back to that DAMN water.

"He began trying to find out everything he could about the water.  He found
out every physical aspect of the curse he could.  He went back to China and
grilled that poor guide for days, trying to figure out the history.  He came
back filled with new energy.  He began mixing the waters and testing their
effects.  He got so obsessed, he became convinced the only way he could
complete his research would be to see its effects himself.  That was when he
discovered the curses' true limitation.

"He asked for my help in setting up an apparatus to allow him to be cursed
by many curses in a row.  During the building, we began to fight.  He got so
angry, he grabbed a bucket of water and splashed me.  Girl-water."  Tenno's
face grew tight as she fought back more tears.

"Why are you telling us this?" Nabiki asked softly.  "We're complete
strangers.  What's in it for you?"

Tenno smiled a wan little smile.  "I need to tell someone.  It might as well
be you.  If what I've been told is true, you people would understand.  I
need someone to understand."  A bit more of Tenno's facade slipped away, and
they could see the emotional pain she felt.  Kasumi just cried silently into
her father's shoulder.  Ranma and Akane just stared at the ground.  Even
Nabiki's eyes were moist. The torment in the girl's voice couldn't help but
touch them.

Tenno pulled herself together.  "When my father heard me scream, and he
realized what he had done, he finally came out of it.  He returned to his
work, promising me he'd cure me."  Tenno sniffed and cursed softly.
"Foolish, he was.  Irresponsible, definitely.  Stupid, not a chance.  He got
some of the boy-water, all right.  But he recalled his experiments with
mixing the various water.  He knew that some curses would not mix, and grew
worried."  Tenno started to grow angry.

"The IDIOT doused himself with girl-water, and then with boy water.  And
made one final discovery before he died."  All of Tenno's audience started,
and looked at him in horror.  Tenno nodded and continued. "He discovered
that to some people, the cursed water is like acid.  Like guys to boy-water.
And girls to girl-water."

"NO!!" Ranma shouted.  "You're lying!  You have to be!"

Tenno looked at Ranma sadly. "No, Saotome Ranma, I'm not.  I'm sorry, but
you can never be cured."

"YOU'RE LYING!"  Ranma stood up and started advancing on Tenno.  "STOP
LYING!"

"Ranma, no!"  Genma interposed himself between his son and the battered
girl.  Ranma stopped, and fell to his knees.

"He's got to be lying!  I've SEEN people cured.  Remember that instant
spring stuff Shampoo had? And what about when Happosai drank all that
boy-water?  And what about the spring of young boy that other old freak
Lukkosai fell into? Don't you get it, Pop? If he's right, it means we're
stuck like this!"

Tenno shook her head, sadly.  "Have you ever looked at yourself, Saotome
Ranma?  The body you posses when you change isn't just some random girl's
body, it's what you would be like if you were a girl.  The water can't turn
you into something you already are.  The young boy water might work on a
man, if he was very, very old.  If I poured girl-water on myself, then
poured it on a real girl though, she would burn.  The curse has nothing to
change.  All that magic builds up," she brought up her hands like she was
holding something in them, "and has nowhere to go.  So it burns."  She
brought her hands apart violently, like an explosion, and then sighed.  "I'm
very sorry, Ranma.  I spent a lot of time trying to cure myself."  She
lifted up her sleeve, and showed them her arm.  It had many small burn
marks.  "There isn't a cure.  If there is, it doesn't lie at Juskenkyo."
She sighed, and frowned.  "I don't know about this instant spring stuff,
though.  And who's Happosai?"

"The little freak who ran over you," Nabiki told her.

Tenno shuddered.  "Oh, HIM.  He drank the water?  That's impossible!"

"He didn't drink the water," Genma interrupted.  "He drank plain water."
Everyone turned to Genma.  Ranma sat down, and put his face in his hands.

"We fought ... like that ... over PLAIN WATER?"  Ranma was dizzy.  He
couldn't take much more of these surprises.  Soun stared at Genma, who
shrugged, embarrassed.

"I tried to use the water before the wedding.  When I touched it, it burned
me and I thought Tendo here had been cheated.  I threw the water away and
filled it with plain water.  I thought I'd come up with an excuse later."

Akane was angry.  She was beyond angry.  She was in a towering rage.  She
was glowing brighter than she had before, and she had a hammer in each hand.
"My wedding, ruined, for NOTHING!  How COULD you?"  Genma was no idiot, he
started to grovel.  Akane pounded him anyway, and whirled on Tenno.  "And
you!  Why did you come here?  Just to ruin Ranma's life?  To destroy his
hopes?"

Tenno very slowly sat up, shaking off Kasumi's restraining hand.  She calmly
looked Akane in the eyes, and spoke softly. "Because I didn't want anyone
else to die.  I found the Saotome's names in my father's notes.  Because
even my father, in his twisted state, saw what the curses were doing to you
people and wanted to save me from it.  Kill me if you want, Tendo Akane.  I
can't stop you.  That water destroyed my life.  I've done what I can to keep
it from destroying yours.  I don't care about anything anymore, I'm just so
tired."

Nabiki appraised the sad girl. *You don't care, do you?  Why don't I believe
that,* she thought.

Akane glared at the girl.  She lifted up a hammer to strike, and felt a hand
on her arm.  "Akane, you'll kill her."  Nabiki stood there.  "I know you're
hurt, and Ranma's hurt, and you're angry, but you can't do this.  It's not
her fault.  She was only doing what she thought was right." Akane glared at
her sister, then suddenly fell apart.  She dropped the hammer and started
sobbing.  Kasumi stood up and just held her sister.

"Thank you, Tendo Nabiki.  I owe you my life," Tenno said, and wearily
smiled at her, then collapsed into unconsciousness.

***
(the next day)

"I'm home!" Nabiki yelled, running through the door.  Kasumi came out of the
kitchen.  "Hey, Sis, how's the patient?"

"She finally woke up today.  Poor girl, I think what she did that night hurt
her as much as it did Ranma.  She cried for hours when she woke up."  Kasumi
sighed, then giggled.  "And asked for a bath.  And food.  She'll be fine.
She just needed to rest a bit.  Or rather, he.  I completely forgot he was
really male."

"Where is he?" Nabiki asked. "Still in bed?"

"No, once he woke up, he asked Ranma to help him break it to the others.
Ranma's out gathering them all.   Tenno's in the dojo."

"Oh no.  All that anger in once place.  Here.  They'll demolish the house!"

"Ranma and Mr. Saotome say they'll control them.  Mr. Saotome also thinks
that they'll follow that code."

"Ranma will control them.  Riiiight.  Who'll control Ranma?  They'll kill
that idiot!"

"I don't think so, Nabiki.  I think Ranma was resigned to his curse, he just
didn't want to admit it.  I think once source of conflict out of his life
did him good."

Nabiki's eyes narrowed.  "When did you get so observant, Sis?"

Kasumi tilted her head. "Isn't that Tenno calling?"

Kasumi smiled as Nabiki jumped and ran out of the room.  "You didn't forget
she was a man for a minute, did you?"

She went back to preparing dinner.

***

One of the few successes Tenno's father made was the creation of
curse-concentrates.  His father figured out that the cursing part of the
water was only a small part of the spring water, and that liters of cursed
water could be made from a few drops of the concentrate.  He planned to make
millions once he discovered how they worked.  His father tried making curse
powder, but then it only worked once.  Something changed when all the water
was removed.

Tenno sat on the floor of the practice room, making buckets of girl water
and boy water.  He sprinkled some boy-water on his arm, and hissed as it
burned.  He washed it with plain water.

Nabiki burst in to the room.  "Tenno!"

"Hello, Tendo Nabiki."

"Call me Nabiki."

Tenno smiled lightly.  "Nabiki, then."

"What's all this?" she asked, looking at the buckets of water.

He pointed to some of the buckets.  "Boy water."  Pointed to some others.
"Girl water.  The rest are plain water I'll convert if need be."

"Convert?"

"One of the things father discovered was a trick to concentrate the spring
water." Tenno grimaced.

"But why have them?"

"You can't end cure the curse, but you can change it.  My father's notes
said that there were at least three people besides Saotome Ranma and his
father who were cursed, and that theirs were more crippling than his.  I
figure they'll probably want to remain human."

Nabiki sighed.  "You're going to get yourself killed, Tenno.  These people
aren't very stable.  Even if Ranma and Genma do try to save you and don't
join in, they'll probably not going to be able to stop Shampoo or Mousse if
they're intent on killing you."

"I don't think so Nabiki.  Saotome Ranma says he's going to explain to them
I'm not a martial artist.  He  seems to think once they know that I can't
defend myself from them they won't lose control.  Besides, with these," he
pointed to the buckets of water, "I have some defense."

"I still think you're going to be killed, Tenno, but it's your risk."  She
turned to leave.

Tenno watched the girl leave.  He felt so very alone.  "Uh.. Nabiki?" She
stopped, and turned.  "Would you be here when I tell them?  You're to be the
only one here besides Kasumi that doesn't want me dead or look uncomfortable
when I talk to them, and she's a little too, uh..motherly.  I..I could use a
... friend."

Nabiki was stunned.  No one had ever thought of her that way before.
"S..Sure, Tenno," she stuttered, then smiled.  "Besides, you owe me one and
I intend to collect." She walked away and stopped.  *Why'd I do that?* she
asked to herself.  She shook her head and left the strange young man alone.

***

The tension in the room was palpable.  Even Shampoo's usually unstoppable
cheer was subdued.

Tenno waited until Ryouga was shoved into the room.  Ranma and Genma
followed.  As Ryouga sat beside Mousse and Shampoo, Ranma and Genma stood
like bodyguards beside Tenno and Nabiki.  Tenno began to explain.  The
tension grew as Tenno told them of the true nature of the curse.  Ryouga had
to be stopped by Ranma when he began building up a Perfect Shishi Hokodan,
but Shampoo merely cried.  Mousse tried to comfort Shampoo.

"Is trick," Shampoo wailed.

Tenno stopped and let them regain control of themselves.  This isn't going
well, he thought.

"You'd better get on with it." Nabiki whispered.  Tenno nodded, and took a
deep breath.

"I know you'd rather not believe me, but Mr. Saotome has experienced the
effects.  He'll verify it.  I can't cure you, but I can change your curse.
The magic of the curse isn't picky.  It'll change aspect quite easily. I
have boy-water here, and girl-water was well.  I can at least make it so you
remain human when you change.  If you want, I can even change what you
become into some other animal."

The tension in the room grew.  Tenno waited silently.  He knew they were in
shock.  He had known he couldn't be cured.  They had always hoped.  He
watched the three young people as they slowly came to terms with the truth.
Mousse rose from Shampoo's side, and walked over to Nabiki.   "Changing into
a woman is much better than changing into a duck. Please,  Nahaki Tenno, do
what you must."  Nabiki tipped his glasses back onto his  face, and gently
guided him to face Tenno.  Tenno nodded, picked up a  bucket, and poured the
contents on Mousse.

All eyes in the room were on onna-Mousse, now an attractive young Chinese
girl.  She looked down at herself, then sneaked a look under her robes.
Shampoo hissed.  Onna-Mousse blushed.  "Uhh.. can I have some hot water?"
Tenno pointed her to some kettles in a corner, and set the bucket aside.

"Over there, Mousse, but you may want to wait.  Get used to your new body a
little."

Nabiki picked up the bucket, and considered the few drops remaining.  They'd
never believe what Tenno said unless they saw it, she thought.  She poured
it on her arm.  As the burning pain started to shoot up her arm, she
screamed.

"NABIKI!" Tenno yelled.  He quickly grabbed a bucket of plain water and
thoroughly doused her arm.  He grabbed another and did it again.  Already
blisters were beginning to form. "Are you insane?!?!"  He turned to Genma.
"Get help! NOW!"  Genma ran out of the room, calling for Kasumi.

Tears of pain were coming from Nabiki's eyes, but she shook off Tenno's
hands and walked over to the wide-eyed Shampoo.  "See Shampoo," she hissed.
"It burned me.  Girls can't touch girl-water.  Tenno's father died because
of boy water.  You can't use the springs to change back!"  Shampoo looked in
horror at Nabiki's arm, and then began to cry again.

"Shampoo no want to be boy!" she whimpered.  Onna-Mousse tried to comfort
her again.  "You go away Mousse.  Shampoo no like pervert boy."

"Would you rather turn into a cat?" onna-Mousse asked her.

"YES!" she said fiercely, and glared at Ranma, who gulped.

Tenno sighed.  "It's your choice, Shampoo.  Remember, you only have to
return to the springs when you want to change. But don't try the
girl-spring.  One person dying for these damned curses is enough."

Ryouga was stunned.  Here was his chance to stop being a pig.  He agreed
with Mousse.  Ranma's curse was much less severe than his own.  But to never
be P-chan again, to never be held by Akane again...was a very high price to
pay.  He looked at Ranma, who was watching him warily.  If that jerk can
take it, he thought, so can I.  He walked over to Tenno.

Kasumi came in and took Nabiki out.  "That's two," Nabiki whispered to
Tenno. Tenno stared after them for a moment, then turned to Ryouga, who
stood before him.

Ryouga gritted his teeth.  "Do it," he said shortly.  Tenno nodded and
poured the water over Ryouga.  And gasped.

At that time Tenno had seen a total of three men turned into girls, and none
of them were like Ryouga.   Onna-Ranma was cute, yes, even beautiful.  Well
built, too.  Onna-Mousse, from what he could tell, was probably decent
competition for Shampoo, if she could do something about the glasses.  Even
Tenno knew he was beautiful when female, ego aside.  His father had thought
it was some element of the curse.  If so, the curse was working overtime on
Ryouga.

Onna-Ryouga put them all to shame.  She was easily as well built as Ranma,
only slightly shorter than her male form, and had the face of an angel. Even
the fangs that made male Ryouga look threatening were somehow erotic.
Onna-Mousse blushed, and looked away.  Genma and Ranma merely stared,
statue-like.  Shampoo looked at onna-Ryouga, who was looking down at herself
and blushing furiously, a small trickle of blood coming from her nose.
Shampoo sniffed, and commented, "Ryouga very pretty girl." The others merely
nodded.

Ryouga had never understood Ranma's hatred of his curse till now.  His body
felt so strange.  His clothes rubbed his body in the most disturbing ways.
"Man, Ryouga you're cute!" Ranma exclaimed.  Onna-Ryouga stiffened.  She
went to the kettles of hot water, and poured some on herself.

"Saotome Ranma," he growled.  And started to glow.  "You ruin my life, put
me through hell, and then have the gall to call me, another guy, CUTE?!
I'LL KILL YOU!"

Tenno stood up and grabbed a bucket of boy water.  This might be trouble.
Genma began to advance on Ryouga, trying to prevent him from attacking. "No.
You won't," Tenno said coldly.  Genma stopped, and Ryouga's glow disappeared
as he stared at Tenno in surprise.  "You promised you wouldn't fight today.
Make a challenge or whatever it is you do and fight somewhere else.  But for
today, go home."  He paused, and placed the bucket of water on the ground.
"If you must kill someone, kill me.  Saotome Ranma is not at fault."  The
tension in the room grew, and then Ryouga slumped and nodded.

Shampoo sniffled again, and seemed to regain control of herself.  She and
onna-Mousse left together, Shampoo hitting onna-Mousse every time she snuck
a look under her robes.  "Stupid Mousse!  You no be pervert!"

"But Shampoo, it's my body...."

Ryouga just grabbed his pack and walked out.

***

The Tendos and the Saotomes looked on as Tenno worked in the yard in front
of a small fire.

He first opened all the buckets he had made and poured them in a pot, and
quickly set it on the fire.  He backed well away from the foul smoke that
resulted from the mixing of the boy- and girl-water and chuckled. "I guess
men and women really don't mix well, do they?"  Ranma snorted and glanced
over at Akane.

Tenno picked up his bag of concentrates and started to throw it in the fire,
when he stopped and turned to Ranma's father.  "Uh, Mr. Saotome?  I never
asked if you want to change your curse."

All eyes turn to Genma, who pondered the question.  "No," he replied.  "Of
all of us, I've accepted my curse the most.  The panda is the most fitting
thing for me to turn into." Ranma snorted.  "I don't want to change."

Tenno nodded, and dropped the bag in the fire.  "Father, I've done the most
good I could with your research.  I know it's not what you wanted to happen,
but please accept it and forgive me for destroying your work, but it had to
end.  I forgive you for what happened to me."

The bag burned, the smoke curling into the sky, while tears fell from
Tenno's face.  "Goodbye, father."

***

Tenno sat at the Tendo table and looked at his hands.  "What do I do now?"

"I was going to ask you that."  Ranma sat beside him.  Nabiki and Akane sat
at the other side of the table.

"Well, I supposed I could go back to the US, but I don't think I will.  I
like it here, and I'm still a citizen.  Japan is crazy, exotic and new, and
truth be told, there's safety in numbers.  I don't want to be some weird
freak back in America.  I can at least find some acceptance here if there's
others like me."  He paused. "I still have a good chunk of my father's
money, but it won't last forever.  I suppose I could find a job at a drug
store or something.  Or maybe a teacher." he chuckled.

"What could you possibly teach?" Nabiki asked suspiciously.

"Chemistry," he said, and snorted at their disgusted expressions. "Joke,
joke.  Jeez, you people have no sense of humor.  No, I have a bachelors
degree in math, I suppose I could apply at some of the local high schools
and teach calculus or algebra."

"You're lying.  You can't have a degree.  You're only a few years older
than me!" Ranma accused.

"It was mostly being in the right place at the right time,"  Tenno admitted.
"It sort of made up for the fact that I barely passed a lot of my other
courses.  By the time I graduated from university, the only thing keeping me
from dropping out were my math grades."

Akane looked over at Nabiki thoughtfully.  "Didn't our math teacher resign
again?  Who'll be taking over?"

"Probably Principal Kuno," Nabiki replied, with a mysterious smile. "No one
wanted the job."

"Uh..hey, it was just an idea," Tenno said nervously.

"And a good one," she replied.  "We'll take you down there to apply
tomorrow."

"But I don't even have a place to live!" Tenno protested.  His voice rose in
pitch as he started to panic.  He had this distinct feeling he was being
railroaded.

"You can stay here," Akane volunteered.

Soun who had been playing a game in the background with Genma, jumped up and
came over to the table.  "Akane! I can't afford another house guest!"
Genma, seeing that Soun's attention had wandered, took advantage of the
lapse and started moving pieces.

"Who said anything about him being a guest?  I was thinking along the lines
of 'boarder,'" Nabiki said lightly.

Tenno's eyes narrowed.  "At what kind of rates?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well, considering that you'll be using additional water, eating food....."
Nabiki began, and the two quickly fell into bickering over the cost of rent.

"Umm. Nabiki?" Soun asked his daughter.  "Nabiki?"  She ignored him, and
continued bargaining.

Akane and Ranma looked at the arguing pair.  "I'll go tell Kasumi there's
another for dinner," Ranma sighed.

Akane patted her father's shoulder.  "It's OK, Daddy, Tenno's a nice boy.
Besides, Nabiki will get us a good deal, you know that."

Soun looked ready to cry, then sighed, and went back to the game.  "WHAT!?!"
He screamed, looking at the board.

***
(At dinner)

"...and he gets some martial arts training from father, Ranma, and Akane.
So that's the deal," finished Nabiki.

Ranma looked disgusted.  "Congrats, Tenno, you've just been fleeced."
Nabiki scowled and started to reply, but was interrupted by Kasumi bringing
out the meal.  They started on dinner.

"Kasumi, this is excellent!" Tenno enthused.

"Why thank you, Tenno," Kasumi replied.

"Get used to it," Ranma grinned at him, and then went pale as Akane walked
out of the kitchen.  Akane had come out with .. something heaped on a plate.
"Uh...Akane, you didn't cook,  did you?"  Ranma asked carefully.

"Raanmaaa, are you saying there's something wrong with my cooking?" asked
Akane, growing angry.  She placed the dish on the table and started to glow
blue.

"Wow, Akane, that's pretty good!" Tenno said.  Everyone at the table looked
at him amazement as he slowly ate some of the mixture, sweat glistening his
forehead.  Ranma grabbed a spoonful and quickly ate it.  Almost immediately,
his eyes grew wide, and he grabbed at his drink, draining it in one go.  He
then grabbed the pitcher and drained that.  "HOT!"

"It is pretty intense," Tenno agreed.  He watched Akane advance on an
oblivious Ranma, who was muttering under his breath.  He leaned over to
Nabiki, who was eating beside him, and whispered.  "No offense, but Akane's
cooking is almost deadly!  I wonder if we could harness her powers for
good?"  Nabiki started to giggle.

Ranma was still muttering.  "He's not human!" he burst.  "He ate Akane's
cooking and lived.  He can't be human!"  He was completely oblivious to
Akane's growing anger.

"In the future, though," returned Tenno, "I'd probably eat it with rice.  It
IS awfully - say, just where do you keep those hammers?"

"RANMA NO BAKA!!"  Akane yelled as she smashed Ranma.

***

(late that night)

Ranma was walking to his and his father's room, but stopped when he heard
groans from Tenno's room.  "Tenno, you OK?" he asked, poking his head in.
He saw Tenno twisting in agony, clutching his stomach.  He smiled, and
closed the door.  He quietly walked to his room, whistling softly.

End Prologue