Ranma and his friends belong to Rumiko Takahashi. They're
used here without permission.

------------------------------
newRanma 10: Dancing

by Chris Jones
------------------------------

	Daisuke started nervously when he realized Ranma was standing
right next to him at his shoe locker. He very nearly tripped and
planted his face into the wooden doors.

	"Uh... Hi, Ranma."

	Ranma opened her satchel. Daisuke began to sweat. The red-
head produced a short stack of manga from her bag which she handed
silently to her friend.

	Daisuke smiled sickly. "So... you liked them?" he asked
hopefully

	"This is really gross, Dai," Ranma noted, pointing at the
cover of 'Lovely Tentacle Warrior Force Sexy'.

	Daisuke gulped, certain that he was about to experience an
entirely new kind of pain.

	"Uh... sorry," he said, sweating.

	"Daisuke, if you *ever* tell anyone you gave these to me...
and I do mean *anyone*... the only thing they'll find when I'm done
with you will be an unpleasant stain on the locker-room floor."

	"H-hai..." Daisuke said, genuinely shaking in terror.

	"You understand me, right?"

	"Of-of course, Ranma."

	"Good." Ranma turned to walk away.

	"Well, if nothing else, she seems calmer," Hiroshi noted.

	"YAAA!! Daisuke jumped again, startled by his friend's
appearance. "Don't do that!"

	"I'm pretty sure she knew I was here," Hiroshi said. "Lovely
Tentacle? Good lord, man. You gave that to her? Eugghh!"

	"I just grabbed the first three I came to," Daisuke said
guiltily. "Wait a second..."

	"What?"

	"Ranma! Ranma!" Daisuke shouted after the already-vanished
martial artist.

	"What is it, man?" Hiroshi asked.

	"Damn it! That bitch still has my Utena doujinshi!"

* * *


	Over the next few days, Ranma found a kind of high-energy
stability. The passionate dreams didn't stop, but they quit being so
upsetting. Ranma was frequently able to dream about women. Some of
the dreams were still disturbing, especially the one about her
mother, but Ranma did her best to just forget about them.

	Also, much to Ranma's embarrassment, she had finally found a
release. When she couldn't forget the dreams, or if the fantasies
became too intense, Ranma could... take a long bath. Or... go to bed
early. Or...

	It was hard to even *think* the word, but it was oh-so-easy
to lose herself to the private indulgence.

	Concentration was becoming less and less of a problem. One
afternoon, rather than re-reading the naughty Utena Doujinshi for the
fiftieth time, Ranma pulled out some of the books and scrolls Tofuu
had given her right after her surgery.

	Shiatsu was boring, but it was sight better than no martial
arts at all. After just a few minutes of study, Ranma could make
either of her arms go numb with just a tap.

	She got yelled at the next day at school for reading one of
the advanced manuals while she was supposed to be following along in
her history textbook.

	That afternoon, Ranma approached her father.

	"What?" the old man asked incredulously. "I thought you were
going to pay attention to the doctor and not fight."

	"I ain't fightin'. I need someone to practice on," Ranma
said. "And you're not busy, so..."

	"Let me get this straight. You want me to just stand still
while you try out untested shiatsu techniques on me?"

	"Uhh... Yeah!" Ranma said.

	"Nothing doing." Genma said, grimacing. "Come talk to me
again when you're ready to act like a man and start sparring."

	"Genma!" Nodoka cautioned from across the room. "It's
perfectly manly for Ranma to want to obey his doctor's orders."

	Ranma blinked in surprise at the angry exchange. What was
most telling were the dark glares that passed between her mother and
father.

	"Whatever," Genma mumbled so quietly that Nodoka would not be
able to hear him.

	Ranma frowned, unsure of what had just happened. She knew
that her mother and father had been fighting more and more often
since her surgery, but hadn't really paid it any heed. The fights
were usually never as vitriolic as the verbal exchanges between her
and Akane, but they seemed to have more lasting impression.

	Genma was starting to sleep separately from his wife more and
more often. More often that not, he tried to come into the guest room
and sleep with Ranma after their fights. Since Ranma had started
to... value her privacy more highly... she refused to let him in.
Most nights, he was stuck sleeping on the floor of the dojo.

	The last time Ranma had seen the old man glare like that was
at Happosai.

	What was going on between the two?

	Ranma was jostled out of her reverie by the ringing of the
telephone next to her elbow.

	"I'll get it!" she called out since she was within arm's
reach. "Tendou des, Moshi moshi?"

	"Airen?" Shampoo's whispered voice came out of the receiver.

	At first, Ranma couldn't understand Shampoo's whispers
through the phone receiver. The girl sounded upset, but other than
that, Ranma couldn't make out what she was saying.

	"Whoa, Shampoo! What's going on? Are you okay?"

	"Airen, please come save Shampoo," the Chinese girl pleaded
in a quiet voice. "Evil woman have Shampoo and--"

	"Daughter!" another voice sounded out from somewhere in the
same room as the Chinese girl. "Your Japanese is atrocious! Where on
earth did you pick it up?"

	"Television," Shampoo admitted in a timid voice.

	Ranma grimaced, and stared at the phone in surprise. There
were brief sounds of a scuffle on the other end of the line. After a
few seconds, Shampoo's voice came back over the receiver.

	"Ranma-san," she said, a little more formally, with a slight
tremble in her voice. "If you would be so kind, please accept
Shamp--" A 'whack' sounded, and Shampoo muffled a cry. "--p-please
accept my invitation to a formal party to be held at the Embassy this
evening."

	"Uh, okay," Ranma said.

	"It will be... attended by other... members of the Embassy...
youth and their guests," Shampoo said haltingly, carefully
controlling her speech.

	"Yeah, Shampoo. I'll... uhh... think about it," Ranma said.

	"Ranma," Shampoo hissed in a clear, quiet voice. "If you no
come save from evil woman, Shampoo ghost haunt you forever!"

	"What was that about?" Akane asked, walking up to Ranma from
the hallway.

	Ranma shook her head in confusion. "I'm not really sure. It
was from Shampoo, but I think she was in trouble with her mom."

	"Oh, come on, Saotome," Nabiki said, smirking. "Surely she
tried to make a date with you or something."

	Ranma nodded, unwilling to be brought up short by Nabiki.
"Yeah--" she paused, hearing the growl begin to rise from Akane's
throat, "--but I don't have any reason to go. Some embassy party or
something. Sounds like a real drag."

	"Embassy party? No, we're going." Nabiki said. "There's no
*way* I'm missing out on that kind of opportunity."

	"Opportunity?" Ranma said incredulously. "Who said you were
invited, anyway?"

	"You'll get me in, won't you, Ranma?" Nabiki said cutely.

	"Well if you're going, I'm going," Akane said. "Somebody's
got to keep an eye on you to make sure you aren't a pervert around
Shampoo."

	"I don't need watching, but-- Hey! I said I didn't want to go
to this thing!"

	"But, Ranma-chan!" Nabiki said in a cloyingly cute voice.
"I'll be ever so miserable if I can't go and schmooze. Do you have
any idea the kind of contacts I can make at an international to-do
like this?"

	"Listen..."

	"Oh, it'll be fun, Ranma," Akane said. "Even if Shampoo is
there."

	She stared in disbelief at the two girls. "I can't belive
this. Okay, fine! How about Kasumi? You wanna come, Kasumi?" she
shouted.

	"Hai, hai! I'll need to find a dress of course," Kasumi said,
poking her head into the main room from the kitchen.

	Ranma rolled her eyes. "I might as well invite the entire
neighborhood. Pops? Tendou? You wanna come?"

	"Uhh... The Chinese Embassy, you say?" Genma asked.

	Ranma glanced over at her father and Soun, who had both
noticeably paled.

	"Perhaps it wouldn't be such a good idea for us to tag along
this time, Ranma," Soun noted.

	Her irritation passing, Ranma stared at the two men
curiously. "What do you mean? Is there some reason you're afraid to
go?" she needled, a smile breaking out on her face.

	"Well," Genma said, stammering slightly. "There was the
matter of the old ambassador's daughter, and several...
undergarments... that the master required for--"

	"NO WAY!" Ranma shouted, trying to keep from laughing. "You
guys broke into the Chinese embassy to steal panties for the old
creep?!"

	"Ranma, please," Soun said. "It's a very painful memory.
Let's just say that we have our reasons for not wanting to--"

	"Be shot at again?" Genma cut him off.

	"Be shot at again." Soun said. His eyes widened, and he
hastily amended himself. "NO! Attending any formal functions at the
embassy would put undue stress on otherwise normal relations between
the nation of Japan and the Chinese government," Soun said,
seriously.

	"What my father means," Nabiki explained, "is that he's just
afraid that the Japanese government will hand the two of them over in
lieu of Happosai."

	"Maybe you should go, old man," Ranma suggested. "China has a
panda breeding program you might be interested in."

	"Ranma, that's no way to talk to your father," Nodoka said,
shifting her bundle.

	"Gomen..." For some reason, it was nice to see her mother
jump to Genma's defense.

	"But a formal party does sound quite nice," the woman said.
"I did just buy a new dress, after all..."

	Ranma blinked, and suddenly realized what was expected of
her. "Mom, I've been invited to a formal party at the embassy. You
wanna come?"

	Nabiki started giggling. Akane joined in despite herself.

	"Why, certainly dear. We'll have to find dress for you to
wear and--"

	"Whoa! Wait a second... I ain't wearin' no dress! We can call
this whole thing off right now if-- YIPE!"

	"Ranma-chan," Nabiki cooed chidingly, sliding in behind the
girl. "Of course you have to wear a formal dress. This is a party
after all. If you wear this," she said, sliding her arm down Ranma's
front, "people will wonder who let the riff-raff in."

	"Uh... yeah," Ranma said, suddenly very deeply aware of
Nabiki's breasts as they were pressed into her back and of the girl's
breath in her ear. She clenched her teeth, determined not to be
cowed. "What do you think I ought to wear, Akane?"

	Akane looked at the two, her face blank.

	Was she mad? She looked like she was going to blow up at any
second. Ranma smiled at her, doing her best to ignore Nabiki.

	"I have a few formal dresses," Akane said, still not changing
her expression.

	"Well, can I borrow one?" Ranma asked. "We're not really the
same size, but..."

	Ranma could feel Nabiki's face next to hers as the girl
leaned over her shoulder. She could feel Nabiki's cheeks swell
slightly as she grinned at Akane.

	"Ranma could always borrow one of mine," Nabiki said. "She
has before."

	Ranma suddenly realized that Nabiki's teasing was not
directed at her this time. She could see the tightening of skin
around Akane's mouth, and the way her eyes were darting around. She
was rapidly building to a boil. Ranma had to do something to disarm
the time bomb before it was too late.

	"Akane's fit better," Ranma said, turning around and stepping
out of Nabiki's grip. She was rewarded by the shifting expression on
Akane's face. "You're just a little more slender than I am, Nabiki."

	"Oh, now you're saying I'm fat!" Akane accused, the corners
of her mouth turning up and losing their tightness.

	"Not really," Ranma said, stepping over and putting her hands
on Akane's hips. Akane's face paled at the contact, but Ranma
tightened her grip slightly, her fingers pushing against the bony
part of Akane's hips.

	As Nabiki started to scowl, Ranma desperately started to
wonder how to get through the situation without saying that Akane had
big hips.

	"See," she said, letting her hands slide up over Akane's
waist, and around her ribs. Ranma marveled at the way every muscle in
her fiancee's body seemed to be tense as a stretched wire. "You're
just built more solidly than me or Nabiki," the redhead explained.
"And I'm wider around the hips than Nabiki is. Her dresses are too
tight for me, but yours are pretty comfortable."

	"Even if they're too loose in the bust?" Nabiki asked, her
eyes flashing dangerously, but a smile reappearing on her face.

	"Well, we can't all be perfect," Ranma said, bending one knee
slightly, and leaning forward. She thrust her chest out in a sensual
pose.

	"Ranma no baka," Akane said, poking the girl's stomach. "Come
on, and we'll pick something out."

	Having navigated the rocky shoals, Ranma grinned widely and
allowed herself to be dragged away from Nabiki.

	Nodoka who had watched the entire exchange, scowled. "That
wasn't very nice, Ranma-chan," she said, calling after them.

	Akane led Ranma into her room, and threw open her closet
door. She pulled out several nice dresses. "This is the one I'm
probably going to wear," she indicated, holding up a pretty, green
off-the-shoulder number.

	"Well, there's nothing for it but to try them on and see
which one looks best," Ranma said, pulling at the hem of her shirt.

	Akane nodded in agreement.

	Ranma pulled her shirt off over her head, noting the faint
blush that rose on Akane's face with a little satisfaction.

	"What? You've seen girls before," Ranma said.

	"Drop it, okay?" Akane snapped.

	Smirking, Ranma untied the cord and allowed her loose pants
to drop to the floor.

	Akane stared at her in shock.

	"What?"

	"You're... you're wearing..."

	Ranma glanced down at the thin cotton panties that covered
her midsection. "Yeah." Her face turned red, but she didn't make any
move to cover herself. "You try wearing boxer-shorts for a month
straight. These are just a lot more comfortable."

	* * *

	The Chinese embassy was in Minato ward, so the trip from
Nerima required a short train ride. The building itself was near
several other embassies. Ranma, her mother, Akane, Nabiki, and Kasumi
walked by a large park on their way from the subway station, and up
to the building. The embassy was quite modern-looking, but had
exquisite gardening and beautiful sculptures surrounding it.

	Nodoka and Kasumi were both wearing conservative, but pretty
dresses. Nabiki had settled on a short, straight cocktail dress. It
wasn't low cut, but it had a sheer top that revealed quite a bit of
cleavage. Akane was wearing the green dress she had picked out
previously and Ranma had decided on a low-cut mini-dress with
spaghetti straps. All five women got appreciative stares as the
walked toward the gates.

	The grounds were unobtrusively populated with Chinese men who
wore dark suits and sunglasses and occasionally spoke into their
wrists. While probably more deadly, these were not nearly as
obtrusive as the uniformed Chinese army soldiers who were visibly
armed and guarding certain checkpoints around the embassy.

	Ranma and the others walked up nervously to the front gates,
where they were halted by a Chinese guard who spoke fluent Japanese.

	"We're here for the party," Ranma said.

	The guard nodded, and checked their ID's which they had all
brought with them at Nabiki's suggestion. Ranma didn't have a formal
invitation but the name 'Ranma Saotome and Guests' was on the list
the guard was carrying. He noted their ID's on the clipboard next to
Ranma's name and gestured them inside the gate.

	There, they were met by another armed guard, who led them
along the immaculately landscaped cobblestone path and the inside the
building.

	Once inside, the group was through a series of thin, black
plastic columns that had been placed just inside the marble columns
along their path. Metal detectors, Ranma realized, a little unnerved
by the sheer amount of security in place. The group was then led
inside a small coatroom where two women in black dress-suits were
waiting for them.

	One of the women explained that they had to be pat-searched
for weapons or contraband illegal in China. Ranma was a little upset
about this, but Nodoka gracefully allowed herself to be frisked.
Frowning at the minor invasion, Akane followed suit. Ranma and Nabiki
were next.

	Ranma was acutely aware of how embarrassing and violating
being frisked felt, despite how polite the two secret service agents
were.

	"Please remember that you are on Chinese soil," one of the
agents instructed them. "You must observe and obey the laws of the
People's Republic until you exit the embassy."

	"That means no fights, Ranma-kun," Nabiki said, smirking at
the rest of the group. "And no malleting Chinese citizens, Akane.
Even Shampoo."

	"I wouldn't mallet... well... yes I would," Akane admitted.

	"Please enter and exit the embassy only through this room,"
the dark-suited woman told them. "There will be Japanese-speaking
guards posted at all other entrances and exits. Please enjoy
yourself."

	"Finally," Nabiki said as they emerged into the ballroom on
the other side of the coatroom. "Let's mingle, everybody! Hey, it's
Kunou-chan!"

	"Nabiki Tendou?" the young man asked curiously, turning
around in surprise. He was wearing a light-colored suit and was
holding a glass of soda. "Pigtailed girl!" he said in excitement as
he noticed Ranma's presence.

	"Oh no..." Ranma groaned. Akane looked at Ranma and Kunou
curiously.

	"Heya, Kunou-chan," Nabiki greeted her classmate. "I didn't
think you were the foreign affairs type."

	"Verily, I am not. Although one so munificent as Blue Thunder
should do well at all social occasions, I find myself at a loss
during these functions."

	"Huh?" Ranma asked, her head spinning. She turned to Nabiki
for an explanation, but the girl had already dragged both her sisters
away and was chatting with them privately near the buffet table.

	"I prefer smaller, more intimate gatherings--" Ranma paled at
the word 'intimate' -- "such as our lunch outings," the kendoist
explained. "Still, I keep finding invitations in my mailbox. Noblesse
oblige," he said, rolling his eyes.

	"So you don't dig the scene, huh?" Ranma summarized. "I can
understand that."

	"Verily, I would rather be alone with you... or Akane," Kunou
admitted, blushing somewhat. "Failing that, I would rather be
perfecting my technique in order to teach that cur, Saotome, what
for. And who are you, Madame?" he asked suavely, turning to Nodoka.
"I belive we've met, but I don't think we've been introduced."

	"I'm that cur's mother," she said coldly.

	Kunou paled, and had the decency to sweatdrop at his faux
pas.

	"You claim to hate my son, yet you seem to fawn over Ranma,"
Nodoka said in bewilderment. "I don't understand at all."

	"The beauteous pigtailed girl is... your daughter?" Kunou
said, his eyebrows knitting in heavy thought.

	"Don't strain the noggin too hard, Kunou. We don't need a
fire in here."

	"Well... yes. I suppose so," Nodoka said.

	"Then... evil sorcerer Ranma Saotome and this girl, also
known as Ranma Saotome, are..."

	"Yes," Nodoka answered, nodding her head slightly.

	"Madame," Kunou said, one eyebrow raised in confusion. "May I
inquire as to why you gave both your children the same name?"

	Nodoka rolled her eyes in amazement.

	"Don't even bother, Mom," Ranma said. "I've explained it
dozens of times, and he just doesn't get it."

	"That inhuman fiend!" Kunou hissed in rage. "To force himself
upon his own sister..."

	Nodoka's eyes widened in amazement. "Is he like that all the
time?"

	"Most of the time," Ranma said. "C'mon! I'm hungry!"

	Nodoka realized the she was too.

	* * *

	Across the room, a pair of green eyes stared in wonder at the
sight of the redhead leading her mother around. The two descended
upon one of the buffet tables like a plague of locusts, quickly
devouring all the choice tidbits.

	Taiyoko giggled and put her hand to her mouth as she watched
the scene unfold.

	She could only guess that the demure woman was Ranma's mother
from the familial resemblance, but the similarity between the two was
enough. Their mannerisms were quite similar. While Nodoka didn't
appear to have the raw food-consuming capacity her daughter did, the
woman still managed to quietly and politely pack away the nicest of
the hors d'ouerves. Ranma, on the other hand, went so far as to get
into a fight with the Brazilian consul over a slice of cheese.

	"Saiteiki, get back to work," one of the caterers urged.
"Don't let the boss see you goofing off!"

	"H-hai," Taiyoko said, not wanting to drag her eyes away from
Ranma. God, she was beautiful...

	* * *

	"Ranma," Shampoo cried out, having finally found the
pigtailed girl.

	"Hey Samfoo! Waff uf?" Ranma greeted the purple-haired girl.
She swallowed with a loud gulping sound, and pounded her chest a few
times, surprised by the sight of the Amazon's curves ensconce in a
long, Chinese dress.

	"Ranma eat like cow," Shampoo noted. "Still, Ranma eat all he
want if save Shampoo from wicked, evil mother."

	"SHAMPOO!" A high-pitched voice called out.

	"Aiyah." Shampoo paled as she and Ranma were approached by a
tall, beautiful woman with long, red hair. She had the statuesque
beauty Ranma had learned to expect from Amazons, and the easy grace
of someone who had spent her entire life practicing martial arts.
Ranma did her best to keep her eyes away from the low bust-line and
high-hemline of the woman's cocktail dress.

	"What have I told you about your language, young lady."

	Shampoo sighed and rolled her eyes.

	"Ranma, please save Sh... save me from this evil woman,"
Shampoo said, darting behind Ranma.

	"I really don't need to get in a fight with another Amazon,
Shampoo," Ranma said. "You're still an Amazon, right?"

	"Theoretically," the ambassador said, holding her hand out to
Ranma, palm down. "It's been years since I've been back to the
village."

	Ranma had seen the gesture before. The red-headed woman in
front of her was offering her hand to be kissed. Ranma wondered if it
was a test of some kind.

	Returning the woman's stare, she grabbed the outstretched
hand and shook it once.

	The ambassador's eyes flashed dangerously, but she grinned
broadly after just a few seconds. "I see why my grandmother finds you
so amusing."

	Ranma had the feeling that she had just picked up a snake by
the tail. She realized that the last time she had had any interaction
at all with this woman was in the context of being knocked out at the
end of the fight between Mousse and Ryouga. Despite not looking it,
the woman in front of her was a skilled martial artist-- probably
more skilled than Shampoo.

	"Oh?" she said in a questioning tone. "I didn't think I was
funny so much as I am a pain in the ass for her."

	"To each their own, Saotome-san."

	Behind Ranma, her hands on the girl's shoulders, Shampoo
began to grow impatient. "Ranma stop chat with evil woman and--"

	Ranma saw the momentary tension in the older woman's shoulder
and the sudden hardness in her eyes. She caught the ambassador's hand
just before it could snake past Ranma's ear to slap Shampoo.

	"Hey, she's trying, okay?" Ranma admonished. "I'd probably
speak crappy too if I learned off a television."

	"You speak 'crappy' anyway," The ambassador said. Then she
broke out laughing.

	Ranma relaxed slightly, letting the woman's hand go. She felt
a certain tension leave her that she didn't realize she'd been
holding. "I'll fight you if you want, but not here," she said. "And
not now. And not by Amazon rules, either. I'll marry who I want to,
thanks."

	"Oh, you *are* a treasure!" The ambassador exclaimed, her
smile twinkling. "I can see why they want you for the tribe so
badly!"

	"Well, I go where I want to," Ranma said.

	"Well, 'Son-in-law'," the woman said mockingly. "I, for one,
don't hold with most of the old traditions. If my willful daughter
here manages to trip you up, then I would welcome having you in the
family. For the meantime, I think you can count on having me on your
side of the argument."

	"Aiyah..." Shampoo exclaimed in a mournful tone.

	"Call me Soap," the ambassador offered.

	"Sure," Ranma said. "Ain't you gonna get in trouble for
disobeying Amazon law or something?"

	"If any of the old biddies who run the village could defeat
me, I might," Ambassador Soap said. "That's not the case. I'm also
far too valuable to them as a voice in the Chinese government for my
grandmother to openly oppose my... rebellious... ideology."

	"This not what Shampoo expected."

	"Behave, daughter," Soap warned in a good-natured tone. "Or
we'll have more... poise lessons... when your boyfriend isn't here to
defend you."

	Shampoo gulped, and quickly shut up.

	"So Shampoo's in trouble?" Ranma asked seriously.

	Ambassador Soap rolled her eyes. "Shampoo *is* trouble."

	Ranma guffawed, earning her a poke in the back from the
purple-haired amazon behind her.

	"You must understand that my daughter stayed in the village
when I went to Beijing of her own free will," Soap explained. "Being
a strong warrior and training with other strong warriors was more
important to her than staying with her mother. Most of our people
think that that's an admirable trait, so I allowed her to stay. Then,
when I managed to have myself appointed ambassador and came to Tokyo,
I offered to let my daughter come with me. Again she refused. Of
course, I find out several months later that she came anyway without
telling me. You can imagine how a poor mother feels."

	"Tso Pu not proper warrior *or* mother," Shampoo grumbled
quietly into Ranma's ear.

	Ranma didn't stop the ambassador from reaching out and
painfully tweaking Shampoo's earlobe.

	"OWWWW!"

	"At any rate, Shampoo still has diplomatic status as a member
of my family, so any trouble she gets into while in Japan is
ultimately my responsibility," Soap explained. "All this I could have
forgiven if she hadn't let that poor, blind idiot tag along behind
her and start causing problems. Now I'm facing an inquiry from two
governments and trying to keep the little duel he was involved in
from inflating into an international incident."

	Ranma blinked in surprise. "How is Mousse, anyway?"

	The ambassador's expression became troubled. "He is... in a
great deal of trouble right now."

	"How much trouble?" Ranma asked in dread.

	"A lot," Soap admitted in a disturbed tone. She gestured for
Ranma to follow her. "When he followed my daughter to Tokyo, Mousse
entered the country using the pretext of working for a travelling
circus act."

	Ranma nodded, remembering the circus Mousse had been
performing at when he first tried to kidnap Akane.

	"Well, as part of a performing troupe," Soap continued, "he
had a 'cultural visa'. After just a few weeks, however, he left the
circus to work at my grandmother's restaurant with Shampoo."

	"His visa didn't allow for that?" Ranma asked.

	Soap shook her head. "It's a fairly trivial point. I could
probably smooth over the fact that he was working at a regular job
instead of performing with both our governments. The crime I will
probably not be able to defend was the fact that he assaulted a
Japanese citizen. Because he did so while in violation of his visa...
complicates matters."

	Ranma's head spun, the international intricacies threatening
to overwhelm her.

	Soap led Ranma from the room where the party was taking place
and into a long, paneled corridor. More of the dark-suited agents
were standing guard at regular intervals along it. They didn't
acknowledge Ranma or the ambassador's presence, or Shampoo's as she
followed behind.

	"At best, Mousse is facing deportation," Soap said. "At
worse..." she grimaced, not completing her sentence.

	"Does it matter at all that it was a duel?" Ranma asked. She
was still angry with Mousse at the moment, but didn't like to see
anyone suffer unfairly.

	Soap shook her head. "The People's government is not
interested in the details. All they know or care about is that a
Chinese citizen was remanded to my custody after he sent a Japanese
boy to trauma surgery."

	They proceeded down a staircase and past two uniformed
Chinese soldiers. The tasteful wood paneling gave way to
institutional-looking cinder block. Ranma noted that many of the
doors they were passing had computerized locks. Finally, Ranma and
Shampoo were taken into a long, narrow room that was lined on either
side with barred jail cells.

	Mousse was in the cell furthest from the door.

	He was naked to the waist, and was sporting a large bandage
wrapped around his torso. There was also a splint taped to his
bruised face supporting his broken nose. His glasses lay on the floor
of the cell while Mousse sat on a thin cot, his back to the cold
cinder block wall.

	His eyes were closed.

	"Shampoo," he noted quietly. "And Saotome."

	Ranma took a deep breath, unsure of what to say. It was the
first time she had seen him since he stabbed Ryouga.

	Finally, Ranma raised her voice. "Why?" she asked.

	"Do I have to explain that to you?" Mousse said.

	"Yeah, I think you better," Ranma replied.

	There were several seconds of silence between the two. Both
Shampoo and her mother were silent.

	Finally, Mousse opened his mouth to speak.

	"How is it," he asked in a tired, dead tone, "that someone
like myself can want and hope and work for something... or someone...
all his life, even when it is denied him over and over again when
someone like you gets it handed to him on a silver platter?"

	Ranma gulped. "You think I ever asked for Shampoo to start
following me around?"

	"You sure didn't discourage her," Mousse said blackly. "But
that's all over now, isn't it. You've won, even if you had to trick
Hibiki into doing it for you."

	Ranma clenched her fists, staring darkly at the Chinese man.
"You tried to kill me!" she shouted.

	"And you should have died," Mousse replied calmly. "Or you
should have killed me. Either way, I'd be out of my misery. This must
be very amusing for you."

	"It's not amusing," Ranma said. "It's pathetic."

	There was an odd sound from Mousse. Ranma wasn't sure, but it
sounded like a chuckle.

	"Mousse stupid!" Shampoo said fretfully. "She tell you over
and over again to leave alone, but you no ever pay attention."

	"How could I?" Mousse said. "You might as well ask a hungry
man not to eat or a thirsty man not to drink."

	"You should have given up," Ranma said. "You were beaten. You
shouldn't have stabbed Ryouga!"

	"Would you have given up?" Mousse asked. "Well?"

	Ranma was silent.

	"If you were about to lose the only thing that ever mattered
to you, would you have given up, Saotome? Answer me, if you're *man*
enough," he said sarcastically.

	"No," Ranma admitted.

	"Then don't tell me how I should have acted," Mousse said.
Then, "It must have been some ego trip for you, eh, Saotome? To so
effortlessly deny me the only thing I lived for. Tell me, did you
ever love Shampoo? Was it ever because you wanted her?"

	"Of course Ranma love Shampoo!" the purple-haired girl
insisted.

	"I never tried to keep her away from you!" Ranma protested.

	"But did you love her?" Mousse asked. "Do you love her like I
do? Even if I go to prison for the rest of my life, I think it would
be better to have been beaten because you didn't want me to have her,
rather than because it was fun for you."

	"You listen here, you self-pitying son-of-a-bitch," Ranma
hissed, her face against the bars. "The only people who kept you away
from Shampoo was you and Shampoo! You think I took pleasure in
watching you and Ryouga beat each other senseless? You think I wanted
either of you to get hurt? You think I asked for this goddamned brain
injury so that I can't fight for three months?" She reached through
the bars, unable to reach Mousse. "Do you think for one minute that I
ever wanted to keep you apart from Shampoo?!"

	"Do you love her?" Mousse asked again.

	"It doesn't matter if I do or not!" Ranma shouted angrily.
"If you loved her-- *really* loved her, and not just obsessed with
her-- you'd know that they way you're acting is wrong. You whine and
moan and feel sorry for yourself and you blame your problems on me.
Well, I ain't gonna take it any more! Your problem is *you*!"

	"Okay, then," Mousse said, rising to his feet and coming
within Ranma's reach. "Let's say that I get out of here without being
skinned alive by the Chinese government. Can you seriously say that
you don't love Shampoo and won't dog every step I take when I try to
win her?"

	"I've never gotten in your way!" Ranma said. "I told you
before! She chases me, not the other way around! If she hates you,
there ain't nothin' I can do about it."

	"But do you love her? You've never given her the chance to
come to me where she belongs!" Mousse protested.

	"Shampoo make Ranma love!" the Chinese girl shouted.

	"Shut up, Shampoo!" Ranma shouted.

	"Say it!" Mousse shouted. "Say it, unless you're a coward."

	Ranma's eyes narrowed in fury.

	"Fine," Ranma said. "I'm not interested in Shampoo. She's all
yours. Happy?"

	"No say that, Ranma!" Shampoo shouted, her voice on the edge
of tears.

	"Say it, Saotome. Tell me you don't love her. Are you a liar,
on top of being a coward?"

	"Shut up!" Ranma shouted. "I ain't no coward and I ain't a
liar!"

	"Then say it!" Mousse said.

	"I don't love Shampoo! I never have. I probably never
will..." Ranma trailed off.

	"NO!" Shampoo shouted from behind her.

	"I'm sorry Shampoo," Ranma said. "You knew I felt that way."

	"No! Ranma lie! Say love Shampoo!"

	"Stop it, Shampoo," the redhead said, pushing Shampoo away as
she tried to force Ranma into an embrace.

	"Ranma belong Shampoo! Shampoo belong Ranma!"

	"Stop it, Shampoo! How do I gotta say it so you understand? I
AIN'T INTERESTED!"

	"It Akane, right?" Shampoo said. "If Shampoo kill Akane
then--"

	*SLAP*

	Shampoo backed away, clutching at her cheek. It was red and
puffy where it had been slapped. Tears were coursing down both her
cheeks.

	Ranma glanced at the ambassador, who was standing impassively
near the door of the detention room. She glanced down at her own red
hand, and realized that she was the one who had just slapped Shampoo.
She buried her face in her hands, and took several deep breaths.

	"Listen... the both of you. You're both so caught up in what
you want that you never think about what anyone else wants.
Shampoo... I'm sorry, but I don't love you. I don't think I'm goin'
to. Mousse... you're right. I ain't been real good about staying out
of your way, but that's still no excuse for the way you acted."

	Her crying face hidden in her hands, Shampoo ran past her
mother and out of the cell room.

	"I'm not the source of your problems. Maybe this will teach
you that," Ranma said, gesturing at the bars. "If not... well... I'll
keep beating your ass until you learn."

	She turned and left the detention area, Mousse staring
blindly after her.

	"How do you feel?" Soap asked, leading Ranma back to the
party.

	"Like hell," Ranma admitted.

	"Do try to enjoy the party, Ranma," the ambassador said. "My
daughter is a strong girl. Eventually, she'll learn."

	"Sure, tell me one I *haven't* heard before."

	It was only a few minutes later that Ranma and Soap were back
at the party. Citing a need to talk to some of the other dignitaries,
Soap abandoned the younger red-head to her own devices.

	Sighing, Ranma spent several minutes looking around the
crowded room for any of the Tendou girls or her mother. None of them
were in evidence. Ranma did come across Kunou again, but didn't feel
like dealing with the kendoist so soon after the exchange with Mousse
and Shampoo.

	Feeling a little thirsty after shouting, Ranma made her way
over to one of the buffet tables where a row of long stemmed glasses
was sitting next to a display of fine cheeses. She threw one glass
back, noting something slightly odd about the taste of the punch
inside. Still thirsty, she quickly gulped down two more. She was
about to empty a fourth when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

	"Whoa! Slow down, partner," Nabiki said. "How many of those
have you had?"

	"Three. Why?"

	Glancing around to see if anyone was looking, Nabiki took the
glass out of Ranma's hand and sipped cautiously.

	"If my figures are correct," Nabiki said, gesturing to the
table. "You just gulped down about ten thousand yen worth of Dom
Perignon in under thirty seconds"

	The monetary figure fell far short of upsetting Ranma as much
as the sudden tingling sensation at the base of her skull. She stared
in horror at the French-labled bottles on the other side of the
champagne glasses.

	"Very nice," Nabiki said, sipping at the glass she had taken
from Ranma. "If you're going to drink, you really have to learn to
savor the flavor."

	"But I didn't know it was champagne!" Ranma hissed. "I don't
want to get drunk!"

	"You really didn't know?" Nabiki asked, incredulously.

	"Oh, God... What am I gonna do, Nabiki?"

	"You're serious, aren't you?" Nabiki said, tossing her hair.
"Haven't you ever been drunk before?"

	"There was once," Ranma admitted in a harried whispered.
"Kunou poured some sake down my throat at a school play. Mostly it
just made me sick."

	"I remember. Akane told me about that. Well, three glasses of
champagne aren't going to make you sick... I don't think. You are
going to be pretty high in a few minutes if you've never really had
any before."

	"Oh god oh god oh god..."

	"Don't worry about it," Nabiki said. "Half the people here
are more than three sheets to the wind," she said, gesturing around
at both the elegantly dressed young people as well as the older
dignitaries. "And most have been drinking stuff stronger than
champagne. There is a free bar, you know."

	"Still..." Ranma said, beginning to feel an odd, bubbly
sensation.

	"If you're worried about it, stick around me. I'll help you
out," Nabiki said, "for a small fee, of course."

	"Okay," Ranma said, ignoring Nabiki's quip. "So... how do I
handle this?"

	"Well, if you're anything like me when you get tipsy,
everything is going to be really funny. Try to be yourself, watch
what you say, and everything should be okay. I'll keep an eye on
you."

	"Thanks, Nabiki," Ranma said, nervously clasping Nabiki's
arm.

	"Don't worry about it," Nabiki said in an odd tone of voice.
"Now come on, there are still some people I want to meet."

	As the alcohol started to percolate through Ranma's brain,
she very rapidly forgot all about the argument with Mousse and
Shampoo and started thinking about how very nice it felt to lean
against Nabiki.

	The older girl led Ranma around, ostensibly to 'introduce'
the redhead to people Nabiki wanted to talk to and possibly extract
favors from. In very short order, Ranma met five Diet members, two
more ambassadors, and no fewer than three princes.

	One of the princes, a young man with Indian features, did his
best to chat up Ranma.

	"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't dance with you. I'm sticking with
Nabiki," Ranma said.

	The young man was not used to being blown off and stormed
away in a huff, muttering under his breath.

	"You should have danced with him," Nabiki noted in amusement.

	"And let him paw at me? Yuck!" Ranma giggled.

	"So who do you want pawing you?" Nabiki asked in a curious
tone.

	Ranma felt wonderfully warm, and her problems seemed to have
drifted away. "You're teasing me again," she said. "You really like
teasing me, don't you?"

	"I'll admit that I do get a kick out of your reactions. Like
I said before, you have a really cute blush."

	"I'll show you blush," Ranma said, whirling around, and
grabbing Nabiki's other arm. "Dance with me!"

	"Ranma!" Nabiki squeaked in surprise. "What are you doing?"

	"Not letting you tease me," Ranma said. "I'll tease you
instead!" She pulled Nabiki close to her, and began to spin the girl
towards the center of the floor where some of the younger attendees
were dancing to the light music.

	"Do you even know how to dance?" Nabiki asked in a quavering
voice.

	She was answered by being spun elegantly around the dance
floor by her shorter partner. Ranma's movements were fluid and
graceful, lacking the hard edge that usually marked them. In fact,
Nabiki was the one hard pressed to keep up with Ranma. Despite the
red-head's skillful lead, Nabiki often felt she was lagging behind.

	More than once, Nabiki's feet left the ground.

	Both girls were giggling by the time Ranma pulled Nabiki off
the dance floor.

	"Two girls dancing together!" Ranma exclaimed. "Hee!"

	"Everyone will think it was a joke," Nabiki said, trying to
get her breath under control. "I hope. When did you learn to dance?"

	"Just now." Ranma grinned broadly at the girl. "So are you
done teasing me yet?" she asked, still holding both Nabiki's wrists.
She stared up at the taller girl mischievously.

	"And what if I'm not?" Nabiki said, her breath coming more
and more rapidly. She backed away, leaning against the wall of the
room.

	Ranma slid one arm around Nabiki's waist and let her other
hand run up Nabiki's arm to cup her cheek. "I'll tease you back."

	"Ranma..."

	"I'm not gonna hide from you, Nabiki," Ranma said seriously.

	"Ranma, please--"

	Nabiki was cut off, her mouth suddenly full. Ranma's lips
danced over her own.

	Nabiki began to shiver, and broke the kiss.

	"Please,  Ranma. Not here..."

	"Are you done teasing me?"

	Nabiki looked around in a panic to see if anyone else had
seen. None seemed to be paying attention, but she could feel the
girl's warm hands on her. Ranma's tiny, petite body was stretched
against her own. She could feel the way Ranma's breasts were crushed
against hers, and the way the girl's hips were pressed against her
own

	"Oh, God. Don't do this to me, Ranma..."

	"There you are!" Nodoka's voice rang out.

	Ranma stepped away and smiled warmly at her mother. A second
or two later, Akane peeked around from behind Nodoka's back at the
two.

	"Where have you been?" She asked curiously. "We've been
looking all over!"

	"Dancing," Ranma said, grabbing Akane's wrist.

	"What are you doing?" Akane demanded.

	"We're gonna dance!" Ranma said.

	"Ranma! Aunty, help!"

	"It'll be fun, Akane!"

	Nodoka and Nabiki watched the two disappear into the crowd.

	"So," Nodoka said.

	Nabiki struggled to keep from collapsing. Her entire body was
quivering.

	"That was... demonstrative," the older woman noted.

	"Ranma..." Nabiki gulped. "Ranma had a few drinks."

	"I see," Nodoka said. "Tell me, Nabiki-chan. Do you have...
feelings... for my son?" Nodoka asked seriously.

	Nabiki didn't trust herself to answer.

* * *

	Across the room, Taiyoko touched her fingers to her lips.

	"She... she likes girls. She kissed a girl. And she's dancing
with another girl... and... and... I have a chance!"

-----

~to be continued...