Ranma placed a hand to his head as if in pain .

" Kunou Tatewaki , Kunou Kodachi I wish that I like-wise had

your parents here that you might also be vindicated but I only could

manage so much , as it is I hope that you may take strength from this

and know that it is possible for you confront them and free

yourselves ."

Ranma raised his head again but the strain of the situation

was still clearly visible on his face .

" Now as much as I would like to take a breather I have a

schedule to keep so I must press on ."

( deep breath)

" I think that it is important to point out that all of

us , myself very much included are all damaged . We have

psychological problems , due in part to the blunderings and sins of

our parental figures . However it is possible for us to take charge

of our own lives and change that .

I , for example , am undereducated , and because of my

upbringing have never developed a great skill at social interaction .

Being raised on the road I never had the opportunity to develop the

skills at inter-personal relating that are so ingrained in the social

consciousness of normal people .

I have gotten some-what better in my time here in the

Tendou house-hold but I will not be a diplomat any-time soon .

Also because of that I am not entirely Nihongen . I do

not think in the same terms as the rest of you .

As well , I also have multiple personality dis-order .

You each know of my experience with the neko-ken but

none of us really thought fully about the matter .

Did you know that psychologists have discovered that most

multiple personality dis-orders are the result of childhood traumas ?

At some point the child has some experience that is so

unbearable that the mind creates an other self to help deal with the

trauma .

And if a child of say five or so were thrown into a pit a

vicious monsters …

… to a five year old child a cat is much bigger than

it would be to an adult …

That is the secret of the neko-ken .

It drives its victims to insanity , and those very , very

few who develop a functional insanity split into different people .

Or as the case may be , they develop a mind that is as

vicious and dangerous as it is possible to deal with the trauma and

any future menaces .

I go insane when I enter the neko-ken state .

The personality that we all think of as Ranma is

replaced by the personality of the vicious beast that was born in the

neko-ken pit .

But it does not stop there .

It is seldom that a person with multiple personality dis-

order only has two personalities .

It is far more usual for the person to have five to

fifteen personalities .

Even twenty personalities is quite common .

I am not an exception to this general guide .

As further proof that this is the case with me I direct

you all to remember the times that I was hit on the head and seemed

to become a girl in my ways of thinking as well as in body .

This was one of my other aspects manifesting itself … or

rather , herself , I should say .

It was simply convenient to place the blame only on a blow to

the head instead of the far more unfathomable activities going on

inside the head .

And there are most likely more aspects of myself that I

simply have yet to meet or identify .

Akari , you have only recently joined this , mm , shall

we say unique , group .

Still I think that you found some resonance in the

traumas represented here .

You parents could not understand you , your grandfather

showed you the love that they could not or maybe simply did not

express .

Your time with him lead you to developing a love for the

farm that he so cherished .

As far as psychological traumas go that was perhaps not

so bad .

You are in fact possibly the most functional of any-one

in this room .

And you seem to be the only one here who has a clear

knowledge of who you care for .

So I do hope you understand if I do not take as long with

you as I will with the others .

Ryouga , the saying about best friends and worst enemies

could almost be reversed in our case .

We are the worst friends and best enemies ."

A wry grin took residence on Ranma's face but it failed to

completely chase away the haunted look in his eyes .

" We are alike in so many ways , we are both social misfits ,

we are both romantically challenged , we both use the martial arts as

an escape from our other miseries , and of course we are both highly

proficient at the martial arts to the point that we can hold our own

with people who have decades , or even centuries more experience than

we do ."

Ranma's gaze took a distinctly glazed aspect to it .

" After all that I have seen I must admit that I am not certain

if there are even more commonalities between us or not . I do know

that in several of the worlds that I have seen your counterpart and

mine became quite intimate .

Yes I mean it in exactly that way .

Before you get to outraged or have a fit I just want to

point out that as our little group has had the experiences of wearing

more than one shape or form that we know more than most just how much

the physical form is irrelevant and how much the person wearing the

body , the person behind the eyes , that is of the only true

importance .

In those other worlds we , or our other-selves at least , made

love when I was both in my male and female forms .

It was not some-thing disgusting or perverted , it was just two

people making love and taking comfort in one an-other's presence ."

Ranma was quiet for a moment then a large mischievous smile

covered his face .

" Of course even if I totally ignore that , your love-life in

the many alternate realities is still worth commenting on ."

Ranma tilted his head back in a thoughtful pose .

" There is for example one world where I found my analogue and

Ucchan selling okonomiyaki by the sea-shore and they told me the most

interesting stories about how the other you had some-how ended up

with both Akane and Akari , and you got them both pregnant at the

same time !

Then there was a world where Akane and XianPu were very taken

with each other but there was the small problem of explaining it to

XianPu's village . It seems that during your wanderings as you tried

to figure that one out you encountered Ling-Ling and Lung-Lung and

let the secret slip out . ( snicker ) You tried to stop them from

telling the village buuuut … you got into a fight with them .

You won of course even though it was two against

one .

( snicker )

… of course we all know about those inane ,

asinine rules that that village has right ?

That is right ! They both considered themselves wed

to you !

Some-how in that universe Ucchan , Ranma , Akane and

XianPu all ended up together but it looked like you were in just as

much of a situation as that Ranma !

… hmmm … come to think of it … I do not know what happened

to the Akari of that world , …. Maybe you ended up with not just two

wives but three wives !

I can see it now , Lung-Lung teaching Akari how to fight

while it is Ling-Ling's day to track you down , find you and bring

you home for supper !"

Ranma broke down into laughter .

Laughter that suddenly stopped and Ranma grew nearly

morbid .

" I am sorry Ryouga . That was thoughtless of me . I

imagine that you are quite angry with me right now and if you were

able you would be shouting about how you would get your revenge on

me .

My apologies , and I assure you that you will get the

opportunity for vengeance .

Just please be patient ."

Several in the room were taken aback at this and were

shaken by the tone that Ranma had spoken in .

" The point that I was originally trying to get at was

that even as I am taking this opportunity to settle some of the

problems that surround me , you also should give some thought to

actually solving the problems around you and not let them sweep you

up .

I would hate for what is about to happen to me to happen

to you ."

The people assembled would have been shaken to the last

one at that if they were able to move . More and more this was

sounding as though Ranma was preparing his own death .

Which of them may have anticipated this with what out look

we can only guess .

" In a way you have as much of a rage disorder as Akane

does .

First there is you directional dyslexia ; forever

getting lost , not being able to rely on much of any-thing , it is to

be expected that your frustration would grow into rage and like

Akane you also thought of me as a safe outlet for those frustrations

and rages .

And I will admit that I did not particularly help matters

any , so thick-witted was I that I just accepted it as being the way

things were with-out stopping to think about why they were that

way . "

Ranma gestured to his back-pack .

" I have some notes and things that I hope you might be

able to use to help you with your directional disorder and your

other , problems .

I am very sorry for the things that I did to you about

which we can not speak here in public."

Ranma paused .

" But I still think that you need to get over that bread

thing."

Ranma turned to MuTsu .

" MuTsu you and Akari are the only two people in these last

two groups who I did not see having some sort of an intimate

relationship or crush on one of my other counterparts in one universe

or an other . Still I only visited about two hundred so there is

almost certainly one out there some-where that such a pairing

happened .

If you have such feelings you will have to let me know when I

get back but it seems more likely that certain patterns will repeat

themselves here as well .

You see in world after world I saw you getting together

either with XianPu or … Nabiki .

In fact in many worlds Nabiki actively pursued your

analogue .

So maybe you should start thinking about your options .

As well you should give consideration to leaving the tribe

that abuses you so .

You have proven that you are capable of surviving outside

its stifling walls .

Some things to consider .

Kunou Tatewaki

A pain in the butt much of the time …

….but then again worse has been said about me .

… by you come to think of it .

(sigh) …and others as well .

Some of the things that you called me were untrue , such as

me being honourless , but others things that you said were nearly

accurate .

…But I will not say which ones here .

If you were paying attention earlier then you may have

noted that I mentioned that every-one of us is in need of seriously

re-evaluating our lives .

After being raised by your own failures of parents then it

is certainly no surprise that you and your sister are in need of a

good support group .

It is no surprise that you developed a dementia to help you

overcome the traumas that you both endured at home .

I am sorry that you had to endure that hell .

I am sorry that I could not have been there to help you both

through it .

When you set those boys to harass Akane every day before

school so that she had to fight her way just to get to class you

probably did not think of it in terms of sexual harassment .

After all that the two of you when through at home it did not

seem to be any-thing serious .

You will have to make your own peace with these things , I

can only offer you what support that I can .

Also earlier I indicated that in some of the worlds our

counterparts were intimate with one an-other .

As when I mentioned this to Ryouga I tell you simply that

the body is little to the point of insignificance and that if people

do love one an-other that they should not let the phobias and biases

of a close minded society to dictate their lives .

If you have such feelings in this universe then please

confront them in yourself , accept them and share them with some-one .

If it is me that you have such feelings for I will not

reject you out of hand or think you sick .

I will think that you may have a bit of a problem in that

you have more competition than is usual in such cases and that maybe

you should reconsider on that account ,"

Here Ranma gave a knowing smile .

" but you should still consider all aspects of your own desires .

I do hope that you will confront your inner troubles and

learn to deal with them . Believe me when I say that you will be the

better for it .

Ranma now turned to the final group ; the iinazuke .

" Well save the best for last as the saying goes .

Frankly I am at a loss in some respects .

First I would like each of you to understand that I was

very sincere when I asserted that I would clear the matter of whom I

would wed .

And I meant it when I said that it would be you who decided

which of you I would be married to but let me clear up some matters

before I get into that .

I was bound to each of you by honour and obligation .

Kodachi was in fact the only one of you who willingly pursued

me .

XianPu , you are commanded by the law of your tribe to either

kill or wed Saotome Ranma . "

The way that Ranma referred to himself in such a circumventive

fashion did not go unnoticed .

" Akane , you are the victim of your idiot father who is

trying , ...

... or at least was trying , he may have changed his mind

after today , ...

... to force you to wed the idiot son of an even bigger

idiot old friend of his , the son was named Saotome Ranma .

Kasumi , Nabiki , you are both in a similar predicament as , if

your sister does not marry the idiot forced on her , your father

will try to make one of you marry him .

Ucchan , your family honour is at stake as well as you to must

either wed or see dead Saotome Ranma .

Each of you must either marry or see dead Saotome Ranma .

I do not know if you were listening in or not but earlier

this very hour I disavowed the promises of the Saotome clan ,

declared the clan extinct , and denounced the name Saotome .

There is no longer a Saotome Ranma .

If all that was holding you was that then you are free of this

asinine mess .

If that was your only reason for being here you may sleep

through the rest of this monologue if you wish .

If you actually have an interest in these matters than I

ask once more that you please bare with me .

Ucchan , I met you first and you are my oldest friend .

Not that I was a very good friend to you .

I let Genma destroy your family's honour , steal your

family's livelihood , and as a result you were humiliated and

ostracized at an age comparable to the same traumas that the Tendou

sisters went through .

A little girl does not choose the things that you did

willingly , the things that you felt that you had to do .

In that you are as much a victim of Genma and myself as

the Tendou sisters are victims of Soun .

You are a good friend and I have no doubt that we could

be happy together ...

... but there is the flip side to that .

Would it be fair to you to marry you ?

Genma and I already stole your life , your honour , your

femininity , the past twelve years of your life … how much more can I

steal from you ?

How could it possibly be fair or honourable to marry you

when there is so much that I have to answer for ?

How much more can I steal from you ?

Please , please , please during this next year rediscover your

femininity and every-thing else that I stole from you .

I do not care if you wear men's clothes for the rest of

your life but please at least try to accept that you are a woman , a

beautiful woman and that you every right to enjoy a pretty dress ."

Suddenly a wry smile quirked his lips . ( but still did

not reach his eyes )

" I might even want to borrow your dress some day if I

have the opportunity to accept that I am as much woman as I am a

man ."

Ukyou felt her heart crushed by the pressures of the

deepest depths of the ocean when she saw what little ghost of a smile

leave Ranma's face .

" Kasumi , Nabiki , I have seen worlds where I have wed

each of you and even one where I wed both of you , but should I do

that here ?

In several worlds Kasumi eventually saw past the immature

first appearance that I gave her and came to love that Ranma despite

his brashness .

I even saw a world where-in Nabiki secretly fell in

love with that Ranma but kept quiet about so as not to ruin her

sisters chance at happiness , then when that did not work out any-way

she helped Ranma and Ucchan get together and leave the insanity

behind .

I wish only the best for the two of you , and if either

of you do want me then please take the chance that I will speak of

shortly .

If it is not me than you should find _ some-one _

to share your lives with .

Kasumi , let yourself feel your emotions , not just

the ones that you think are right but all of them .

Let yourself be sad

Let yourself feel unhappiness

Let yourself get angry once in a while

Let yourself experience the full range of every-

thing that you have denied yourself for so long .

Doctor Tofuu has a serious crush on you , go on a date with

him , try letting yourself go for an evening , enjoy yourself .

Soun is completely capable of fending for himself and your

sisters are old enough to take care of themselves .

Move out . Go to college . Study . Figure out what is

right for you .

Please , I am begging you , get out of this house where

your mother is eternally dead and your father abandoned you .

Nabiki , you I place in charge of seeing to it that she

does get out of this place , that she and Akane and you yourself all

get out of here and live , for each other and for yourselves and not

let Soun suck any more life from you .

Soun is certainly old enough to learn how to heat water

and make noodles and rice .

Learn to live , please .

XianPu , I know that none of this has been easy on you

either , you have been trapped for what must seem like ages to you in

a foreign land where the natives speak a strange language and make

fun of you .

You are doubtless home-sick very much , for unlike many ,

even I would say most , of us here you actually had a home and are

now forbidden to return to it unless you either wed me or see me

dead .

As much as you are home-sick however I would ask two things

of you .

First would you not admit that you have had fun in the

outside world ? You have had adventures that you would never have had

if you had remained in your little village . You have seen things

that none of your fellow warriors have or ever would .

And you have had a bit of fun would you not say so ?

I know of the bicycle races that you have had with that

pink-haired girl every once in a while you are making deliveries .

And what about the tag race that we had a while back ?

Second I want you to think about how miserable I would

have been , trapped in that small village , captive , imprisoned by

what -ever means KhuLon engineered , and I have seen quite a few

different tactics that she has used in dozens upon dozens of worlds .

Do you really think that I would be happy being unable

to ever leave ?

In several worlds I saw her drugging that Ranma into a

permanent coma so that there was no possibility that he could

escape .

And even if she kept me conscious do you really think

that I would enjoy being the subject of ridicule and prejudice ?

Being male in a female prejudiced society ?

Being cursed even as you were so cursed by your peoples laws

and discriminations ?

You know how I grew up with-out a home to call my own and as

smart as you are you have no doubt realized how much I would like a

real home . Maybe you even thought that your village could provide it

instead of say , the Tendou house-hold .

But did you think that I would give up on the entire rest

of the world ?

To have a real home , not just a place where I am

tolerated as the son of a friend who is a more or less permanent

guest instead of an real member of the family , is some-thing that I

have craved for a very long time but I would never be able to stand

being confined like that . I have wandered for as long as I can

remember , to suddenly be trapped in one place , any one place ,…

... would an eagle thank you for catching it and

locking it in a cage meant to be small even for a canary ?

I believe that even should you decide not to marry me and it

would certainly be understandable if after this day you would not

wish it , you should think about life outside of your village .

You would never have had those marvelous adventures had

you stayed there and after all of those adventures should you go back

you may find that you have grown to big to fit comfortably in such a

small village any-more .

Never the less you deserve to have the options to make

that decision .

After this day it is possible that KhuLon will

conveniently find a loop-hole in your tribal laws that will let you

return home even with-out me as your husband-slave , as I have seen

her do in other realities , or you may decide that you do indeed wish

to marry me and either split our time between your village and what-

ever place that we decide on for a home in the outside world .

What ever you decide , I will make certain that you have

the option of returning to your home village , of that you may count

on .

I go into more detain in the packet that I will leave for you .

Kodachi

I asked you once about why you sought me as a romantic

interest and I will admit that you had some-very good ideas , but

after this day you might reconsider them .

Regardless of what you may decide , I do ask you to get

help for your mental problems and emotional traumas , and like the

Tendou sisters I encourage you to move out of that hell that is not a

home and seek to find some-where where you can live with-out the

horrors and traumas of the past following you . Maybe even get a

roommate to whom you could confide in .

You and your brother both should think of such things before

even greater tragedies happen .

I …."

What ever Ranma had been about to say was lost in a familiar

exclamation that every-one present both knew and dreaded .

" SWEETO!!"

Ranma was a blur and seemingly a dozen precisely aimed ki-

blasts threw happosai out of the room .

" Not this time " was all that he said . Then he turned to

address the people in the room . " Please excuse me , I will deal

with this interruption and then return ."

With that the guests watched as Ranma strode out of the

room and , unable to turn to look could only hear parts of what was

going on outside .

" Ranma how could you throw a party and not remember to

invite your old master ? "

" You were deliberately not invited and there was good

reason for it …"

( sounds of a scuffle )

" … and you are not my master ."

( thumping , crashing , all in all sounds that one would

expect in a fight between these two )

" You obviously need an other lesson in just why I am your

master !"

( the bang of multiple small bombs being detonated )

" As long as you are here any-way I do have some things

that I need to say to you as well ."

( boom )

" Are you listening old letch ? I would hate for you to miss

this ."

" I can hear you find boy ."

" now , now , I can not let you do that , you have caused

far to much trouble over the years to the Tendou house and Dojo , … I

will not let you mar this day with yet more damages ."

" How did you do that boy ?!!"

" Irrelevant .

happousai , I here-by pass judgment on you .

For sexually harassing the entire female student body of

Furikan High School , for sexually molesting innumerable girls who

could not defend themselves from you , for causing more harm to them

than an army of psychologists could help them through , I find you

guilty ."

" What !!"

( BANGBANGBANG )

" How dare you boy ! I will teach you some respect for your

elders !"

( BANGBANGBANG )

" … as the police have been unable to bring you justice ,

not even the riot police , it falls to me as the only one other than

KhuLon who can make you answer for your crimes …"

( BOOM!!)

" … and she certainly does not care if a bunch of

outsider girls are scarred emotionally for life ."

( KA-THOOM )

" Boy I will make you …" the rest of the old molesters

words were lost in a cacophony of destructive noises .

" I here-by declare you guilty of all charges and …"

( sounds of high speed activity and destruction )

" … -by execute the sentence-- …( drowned out ) -

forever !"

The sounds of happousai screaming ( in rage ? in

defiance ?) were sudden and even more suddenly cut off .

The abrupt end of the sounds of fighting was frightening .

For an age there were no further noises of any kind to

be heard from outside .

The nerves inside the Dojo were impossibly taunt and

frayed .

Then finally the sound of some-body shuffling close by

were heard .

" … ( low grumble ) … that is not going to come out …

and in my best silk to …

well I still wish there had been and other way …."

Then Ranma raised his voice and addressed the group in the

dojo directly . " I am sorry for the delay people but I am going to

have to change clothes before we go any-further . I will be right

back ."

… and with that he was gone with-out any of those

assembled having caught sight of him .

Akane could not get the sounds out of her mind , she

could not get what Ranma had said out of her mind . She reviewed in

her in a continuous loop those words .

" that will never come out of silk …"

She could only think of one liquid that Ranma could have

possibly been talking about but she could not think about that , she

could not .

------

Ukyou spared little sympathy for the old molester and

silently agreed that the fiend needed to be brought to justice but

she was worried about what ever it was that Ranma had done to him for

the simple reason that this day seemed to weigh heavy on his soul

already and she was concerned for what ever emotional damage that it

might have done to him . Ranma's own comments about his state of

mind came back to her .

How much of that was true ? She was the only person in the

world who would actually listen to him , hell! she was the only one

who ever listened to Ranma !

But even so she had never made the connection between the

neko-ken and multiple personality dis-order . Remembering back to

what she knew about the incidences when Ranma seemed to become a girl

in mind as well as body she recalled the adage about hind-sight being

perfect sight .

------

Ryouga tried hard , even desperately , to break free of

the paralysis that held him fast . He had to get free .

He had to !

- -= - - - -

MuTsu ran the sounds that he had heard through his mental

review continuously as he tried to determine if he had truly heard

that which he had thought had heard . If he was correct then one of

the items that he had acquired for Ranma was accounted for , but the

question remained , `Which one ?'

- - - -

XianPu wondered about these latest developments and how

they could be connected to the special potions that Ranma had asked

her to get .

Also she worried for the repercussions that his actions

where going to engender in KhuLon .

- - - - -

Nabiki was less thinking about Ranma than she was thinking

about what Ranma had said .

- - - - - -

Kasumi worried about the young boy - no , the young man -

that she had originally rejected because she learned that he was

younger than her and so she immediately jumped to the conclusion that

he must have been immature , but over the years that she had come to

know the young bo- young man - she realized that even when he had

first showed up on their doorstep Ranma was not so much immature as

he was unprepared to inter-relate to others in any kind of social

fashion .

To , she thought about a comment that he had made moments

earlier . He had said that he was a guest rather than a member of

the family .

How she dearly wished that she could speak now .

~`Please kami , do not let him do any-thing permanent

before I can move and tell him how wrong he is .'~

- - - - - -

Kodachi tried very hard to remain calm and collected as

she digested the recent events . Like Ukyou she spared little concern

for the fate of happousai except as it related to possible

repercussions for Ranma .

Instead she mulled over the revelation that he was indeed

the very same pig-tailed girl that her brother so lusted after and

that she hated so much because when ever she ( the pig-tailed girl )

showed up her Ranma-sama always dis-appeared and that she would

frequently appear in such a fashion that Kodachi was left questioning

what tenuous little grasp on reality she had left to her after her

parents abuses .

Now she found out that she was not hallucinating , that she

went into denial needlessly because she actually had indeed seen the

man she thought to be the perfect hero to save her from her past

transform into a woman !

- – - - - -

The sounds of Ranma returning roused the attention of every-

one in the room from their individual thoughts .

" I am sorry to take so long every-one please forgive

me ."

Actually several people wished that he had taken longer

as they feared what was coming .

Ranma stood , opened his mouth , and then stopped , a

contemplative look on his features .

After a moment he finally broke his silence to say , "

I am sorry every-one but I am having trouble remembering where I was

in my speech before I was interrupted ."

Ranma seemed to be fruitlessly searching his mind .

" Well ," he finally said . " hopefully any-thing that I am

forgetting now is covered in the notes that I have for all of you and

will leave with you .

As I am certain many of you if not all of you have taken

notice of I have indicated several times that I will be leaving you .

This is true .

You see it has become clear to me that all of us have

been wallowing in the chaos , using the constant confusion as an

excuse to avoid thinking .

I have seen that this is not a viable plan for the long

term .

We must all think about the world that we live in and

what we want out of it and what we can contribute to it .

But I realize that as long as I am here it is very

unlikely that that will happen .

So as so many of the problems in orbit around all of us

seem to be centered around me in particular , and as most of you

fight so often either with me or over me , I have decided to remove

myself from the field for one year so that , with the source of 90%

of the contention removed you will have no choice but to think .

Ryouga , during the course of that year I am placing you in

charge of defending the girls .

In fact I am placing you in charge of seeing to their

training .

By the time I return I expect to see every-one of them , even

Akari and Kasumi to be at least as competent at the martial arts as

we are now .

In fact , I hear-by challenge you to teach them to the point

that every-one of them , even Akari and Kasumi , can throw simple

chi-blasts , and Ucchan to be able to do that braking point trick of

yours by the time I return .

In fact _ I_ am planning on continuing my training

and _ I _ plan on being able to fly , and you just know that if

at least two of you can not fly as well that I will never let you

hear the end of it !"

Ranma took off the back-pack that he had been wearing

for weeks now and with-drew a large envelope which he placed on

Ryouga's lap .

Ranma then turned to Akari .

" Akari , I am sorry that you had to get caught up in all

of this .

I hope that you will become stronger for it ."

Ranma turned to Kunou Tatewaki .

" Kunou , I wish you well and hope that you can find the

strength and means to over-come the ordeals that you have had to

endure ."

Ranma placed an envelope on the laps of each of them .

Ranma turned to MuTsu .

" MuTsu , keep in mind that you have options and that you

should try to actually talk to XianPu instead of just stalking her .

After this I would say that your chances of winning her

away from me are much improved , after all KhuLon will no longer be

as supporting of XianPu pursuing me as she was when I was still

useful to her as a means to make little zealots to do her bidding .

As well XianPu herself may no longer desire me after

this confrontation this day .

Then again , now that you know that there is a

possibility between you and Nabiki …

Maybe you will surprise XianPu by not being completely

lost with-out her after all ..."

Ranma placed a large envelope on MuTsu's lap .

Ranma turned to the iinazuke .

" I have no family name to call my own .

XianPu's village is so small that I do not even

believe that they use family names , and Kodachi has her brother to

carry on her family name so I guess that I must ask you Kasumi ,

Ucchan , Nabiki , Akane , if one or more of you would consent to

allow my your name .

After this day you may not want me as a husband but I

hope that at least one of you would have me as a brother .

I even dare to dream that one way or an-other you consent

to all of us forming a unified family and that on that day I would be

Kuonji-Tendou Ranma .

A bit of a flight of fantasy on my part I realize but …

well that is the nature of dreams is it not ?"

Ranma's voice was thick with emotion .

" I even … well I will not go into that now , first there are

other matters ."

`What was he going to say ?' was a burning question that ,

even if they were unable to ask because of the paralysis , was none

the less vibrating in the room .

" Akane , Kasumi , Nabiki , …. I can not say this strongly

enough … I believe with all of my heart and soul that all of you

should move out of this place .

Move to an apartment some-where , enter college together ,

support each other and grow !

In fact …"

Ranma now addressed the entire room . " I am calling on

every-one present to call all of the Tendou sisters and Kodachi and

XianPu and Ucchan by the -chan suffix so that they remember that they

are not so old , that they are still young and should seek out their

lives!!"

Ranma looked directly at Kasumi . " and that especially

means you Kasumi-chan , you are not an old maid so do not act like

one ."

Ranma placed three envelopes on the laps of the three

Tendou sisters .

Ranma turned to Ukyou .

" Ucchan … well after today you might not want me to call

you that any-more … Ukyou I … I … you are my best , my oldest , in

many ways my only friend .

I hope that some day you can forgive me for all the crap

that I have done …and all that you are going to go through over the

next year ."

Ranma placed an envelope on Ukyou's lap .

Ranma turned to Kodachi .

" I wish that I could instantly fix all that has gone

wrong in the world for you but I can not I can only hope that the

next year will see that you get the means to face your troubles and

that I can help you with them at the end of that year ."

Ranma placed an envelope on Kodachi's lap .

Ranma turned to XianPu .

" XianPu-chan , you are in a foreign land and I wish that I

could give you that option of returning home right now but this year

long delay is necessary .

I can recommend this to you ; you are far more intelligent

than most of the people in Nerima give you credit for , the only

reason that you do not speak Nihongo better than you do is because of

your own stubbornness .

You were so determined to take me back to your village

that you never really studied Nihongo . You were so convinced that

you would win me over that you refused to make any concessions .

So I suggest this , during the next year channel you

channel part of your energies into improving yourself and show all

of those people who teased you that they were wrong to call you

stupid ."

Ranma now stood up as tall and straight as any present had

ever seen him and walked to the podium , turned , and addressed the

entire room .

" All of you may still be in suspense about who it is that

I actually intend to wed .

I meant it when I said that it would be you iinazuke who

would decide the matter .

There is between little and no-thing about any of our lives

that is traditional .

Certainly these multiple engagements are not standard fare

to most in Nihon .

… and the likely-hood of our lives being ` normal' in

the future seems none existent as well .

… so I see no reason that this marriage should be any

different .

If any of you still wish to marry me after this day I would

be glad to marry you , but know that part of the reason that could

not choose between you before this was because I could not bare the

thought of hurting the others .

Nor will I hurt them now .

During my travels I learned that several of our counter-

parts entered into multiple partner marriages with one an other and

in most cases they even made it work .

XianPu's tribe even has precedents for such marriages

….odd that she did not mention that herself hhhmmm?

In one time-line Ranma , Kasumi , and Ukyou all ate a

potion at the same time that let them share experiences and let them

come to an understanding that lead to a three way marriage between

them , and later they even invited the Kodachi of their world into

their fold and as far as I saw they were all living happily ever

after years later .

In an-other world all of you iinazuke ate such a compound

along with a young girl and her mother who were only coming to enroll

the child in the Dojo and worked together there after .

So I know that such a union is possible ,…

… but I will not force any of you to join if you decide

that you are adverse to the thought of such a marriage .

As well , consider this ; you would not all be marrying

me , rather you would be marrying me and each other as well .

Kodachi-chan could you accept being married to Akane ?

Could you accept your children calling her `Akane-mother' ?

Ukyou-chan would you be able to share the title of mother

with XianPu ?

Yet an other consideration to take into account is that I

am not male all of the time .

… but I would still crave affection even in my other form .

I would not force you into making love to me in either of

my forms but you will have to accept that that will be an important

consideration to think about .

I have already stated how I no longer intend to seek a

cure .

You must either accept me as I am , all of me , or admit

that you can not , or will not .

Also one final consideration to take into account ;

I may not be alive to marry ."

Hearts clenched .

" Some-times honour demands sacrifice "

Souls grew cold .

" Some-times redeeming lost honour is some -thing which

can only be done post-mortem ."

. . . to be continued . . .