Akane was jolted awake by a terrifying sound. It had sounded like a scream 
of some kind, but it barely sounded human -- and before she could get her 
bearings, there was a loud *CRASH* right out in the hallway! 
    She looked to the door in apprehension, and P-Chan jumped to the foot of 
her bed, where he stood staring at the door vigilantly. 
    "P-Chan?" Akane whispered to her pet. "What's going on out there?!" 
    P-Chan gave her what she thought was a strange look, then looked back at 
the door. He seemed really nervous. 
    Gathering her courage and resolve, Akane slid out of bed and moved toward 
the door, picking up a barbell on her way there. 
    Her hand was inches from the door when suddenly there was a very loud noise 
behind her. Akane looked over her shoulder and saw something horrifying crash 
through her window and land right next to the bed! 
    It looked at her, and Akane gasped involuntarily. It looked like some kind 
of a giant fish or frog, except it had arms, legs and hair like a person. It 
hissed and reached toward her with a clawed hand. 
    As it leaned over the bed, P-Chan leaped up and attacked its face, giving 
Akane a chance to react. Not wanting to abandon him, she dodged sideways and 
made a grab for her training bokken in the corner. 
    It occurred to her that this probably wasn't the wisest move she could've 
made a moment later, when the creature swatted P-Chan into the opposite corner, 
then turned and took a swing at Akane. She was knocked back against the wall 
near the door and dropped her barbell, a bit dazed but thankful the claws 
hadn't scratched her. 
    But now she had a real problem, as the creature lunged toward her with 
frightening speed. And as hard as Akane tried to hide her fear, she was 
terrified of it. 
    Suddenly, the door next to her opened. "Akane?" Nabiki's voice called. 
"What's going on--?!" 
    To Akane's horror, the creature swerved sideways and went right out the 
door. She heard Nabiki gasp, then a low growl from the creature drowned out any 
other noise. 
    Struggling to her feet, Akane rushed out into the hall. At first all she 
could see was the monster's back, then it drew back its arm and she saw Nabiki. 
The creature had her pinned to the wall, and blood ran down her arm where its 
claws had sunk into her shoulder. 
    Akane was amazed that her sister didn't cry out in pain. She knew SHE would 
have. She then realized that she was just standing there staring at the 
monster, and it was pulling back its free arm to deliver a killing blow! She 
had to make herself do something! 
    "LEAVE HER ALONE!!!" Akane did the only thing she could think of -- she 
grabbed the creature's outstretched arm and pulled. To its surprise (not to 
mention her own), she managed to pull it off Nabiki. Unfortunately she didn't 
know what to do with it after that, and its attention was now focused back on 
her. 
    Claws lashed out, and all Akane could do was cover her head to try to ward 
off the worst blows. Razor-sharp talons bit into her forearms, and she gritted 
her teeth against the pain. 
    Suddenly, the attack abruptly stopped. With a great deal of apprehension, 
Akane peered out from under her upraised arms. 
    Ryoga was in the hallway. How he'd gotten there, Akane had no idea, but he 
had the creature's arms pinned and there was a fire in his eyes she'd rarely 
seen. She noticed that, by this time, her father and Kasumi had also come out 
into the hall and were staring at the monster in horror. 
    "Akane!!" Ryoga shouted. "Are you okay?!" She managed a nod, but didn't 
trust herself to reply right then, afraid she'd start screaming or crying. 
    "You bastard...!!!" Lifting the monster off the floor, Ryoga turned and 
threw it down the stairs, then leaped down after it. The Tendos could hear the 
sound of a violent and very one-sided battle erupt below them. 
    "Akane!! Nabiki!!" Soun and Kasumi quickly rushed over to tend to their 
injuries, deep concern evident on both their faces. 
    "Akane, what happened out here?!" Soun asked as he leaned over her. "What 
was that, that ... creature?!" His composure was surprising, under the 
circumstances. Normally he'd be a complete wreck. 
    "...I ... I don't know what it was, Dad!" Akane said, her voice breaking a 
little now that the danger was over. "It just ... I heard a scream out here in 
the hall, and I was coming to see what it was, and then ... then, that THING 
came in my window, and P-Chan -- OH NO!!! P-Chan?? What happened to him?!" 
    "Shhh, Akane, it's okay," her father assured her. "We'll find him, but we 
have to take care of YOU first!" 
    Akane blinked. She wasn't used to her Dad taking charge of the situation 
like this, and it made everything else that had happened seem even more 
surreal. Maybe it was something he'd imbibed...? 
    "But, Akane, you say you heard a scream?" Kasumi asked from across the 
hall, where she was examining Nabiki's injury. "I heard it too, in the hallway, 
but it didn't sound like anyone I know ... what was it? If that monster was 
outside your room, than that couldn't be it ... what could it have been?" 
    "This is just a wild guess," Nabiki interjected as Kasumi tended to her 
shoulder, "But maybe it has something to do with Ranma?" She pointed past them.
    Looking down the hall, the other three realized for the first time that 
there was a gaping hole in the wall of the Saotomes' guest room. 
    "Ra ... RANMA!!!" Pushing her father aside, Akane jumped up and ran to the 
hole. Looking through, she saw ... a snoring panda laying in the middle of the 
room ... and another hole where the window had previously been. 
    And no sign of Ranma anywhere. 
    "Ranma ... he's gone!" Akane cried, turning back to her father and sisters. 
"Where could he be?!" 

    "TENSHIN AMAGOURIKEN!!" 
    Ranma ducked under the creature's swing, and delivered a hundred blows to 
its body faster than the eye could see. The monster staggered, and Ranma did a 
backflip, kicking it in the chin as he went. He landed a few feet away from it, 
ready for anything else it had to dish out. 
    Which couldn't be very much more. It had been a long fight and the monster 
was incredibly strong, but Ranma knew he was wearing it down. It told in every 
movement the creature made, becoming more sluggish and labored as the minutes 
passed. He knew victory was his; now all he had to worry about was finding out 
exactly what the hell this thing even WAS. 
    Snarling as if to tell Ranma it wasn't through yet, the monster lowered its 
head and prepared to charge him again. Ranma tensed, ready to deliver the 
finishing blow, but just then he was interrupted by an enraged shout from 
inside the house. 
    "SHISHI HOKOUDAN!!!!" A blast of green fire abruptly tore through the 
nearest wall. Ranma could see the sillhouette of a second monster inside it, 
and the blast caught the first creature in its path as well. It knocked both of 
them through the wall surrounding the yard, and out into the street beyond. 
    Ranma blinked in surprise, then straightened up and turned toward the 
source of the blast. 
    "Hey, nice shot, P-Chan!" 
    "Shut up," Ryoga growled, leaning against the remainder of the wall. 
    Ranma sighed in relief, glad the battle was over. "C'mon," he called to 
Ryoga as he jogged towards the wall. "Let's go pick up the pieces." He reached 
the hole made by Ryoga's fireball, then stopped. 
    There was some debris in the street outside, but no fish-monsters. Ranma's 
mood instantly became serious again, and he quickly looked up and down the 
street but there was no sign of their hideous attackers. 
    "Crap." He turned back to Ryoga, who had caught up with him. "They're gone. 
Poof, disappeared." 
    Ryoga swore, then looked back at Ranma. "Hey, what the hell were you doing 
out here, anyway?!" he demanded. 
    "Huh? Whaddyou mean, what was I doing?!" Ranma snapped back at him. "I was 
fighting that monster, that's what! If I hadn't lured it out here, the house 
would've been wrecked!" 
    "Well, while you were out here playing around, another monster came in and 
attacked Akane!! If I hadn't been there, she'd--" 
    Ranma's eyes widened and he raced back inside, leaving Ryoga ranting out in 
the yard. 

    Morning came, and customers were already waiting when the doors of the 
Nekohanten opened for the day. As Shampoo hurriedly waited tables, she was 
surprised to see Ryoga burst through the door. Ukyo followed shortly behind 
him, and he staggered across the restaraunt toward the counter in back. Shampoo 
stopped Ukyo on her way past. 
    "What with him?" she asked, nodding at Ryoga. 
    "Beats me," Ukyo replied with a shrug. "I met him on the street outside my 
restaraunt. He came stumbling past just like that, and grabbed my arm and asked 
me to bring him here. He didn't say why, he just said it was really important."
    Meanwhile, Ryoga was banging his fist on the counter. "Hey! Old Ghoul!" he 
yelled, causing some of the customers to look in his direction. A petite, 
pretty girl with straight black hair sat at the counter next to him, sipping a 
cup of tea and looking at him with a measure of curiosity. 
    Cologne popped up behind the counter. "Why hello, Ryoga. Good to see you, 
boy. Any word on the Tendo training hall? Shampoo told me of your battle 
yesterday against those delinquents. It seems they were only pawns of a man who 
cares very little for human life." 
    "Listen to me, old woman!" Ryoga exclaimed, then slumped against the 
counter, clearly exhausted. Shampoo and Ukyo gathered around, also wanting to 
hear what he had to say. 
    "Last night, after the fight ... the Tendo house was invaded, by ... by two 
weird creatures of some kind." 
    "Creatures?" Cologne repeated, clearly interested. "What sort of 
creatures?" 
    Ryoga shook his head. "Monsters ... I've never seen anything like them. ... 
Kinda looked ... like, I dunno, big fish. Or maybe frogs. But ... but, they 
sort of looked human ... at the same time." 
    Cologne's eyes narrowed. "Fish, eh...? Could they have something to do with 
the curse of Jusenkyo?" 
    Ryoga shook his head again. "I dunno ... those things ... they, they hurt 
Akane!!" He clenched his fists angrily. 
    "What? Akane hurt?" Shampoo repeated. "Ranma is okay, yes?" 
    "Akane ... Akane and her sister were injured by those monsters!" Ryoga 
growled. "Me and Ranma fought them off ... but, they escaped. After that ... 
Ranma and the Tendos went to the hospital." He sighed in exhaustion. "I spent 
the whole night ... running around, trying ... to find this place." He 
collapsed across the counter. 
    "Great-Grandmother!" Shampoo exclaimed, turning to Cologne. "We help Ranma 
fight monsters! Is okay, yes?" 
    Cologne nodded thoughtfully. "Fish-monsters ... I wonder what this means." 
She waved her cane at Mousse. "You there! Duck-boy! Shampoo and I are going 
out. Watch the restaraunt until we return." In response to his orders, Mousse 
sulked. 
    With that, Cologne and Shampoo headed for the door with Ukyo bringing up 
the rear. As soon as they were outside, the conversations in the restaraunt 
resumed their normal course. 
    Well, almost. 
    "Monsters...?" the girl at the counter murmured thoughtfully to herself. 
She glanced back at Ryoga, who appeared to be completely unconscious. Then she 
got up and left the Nekohanten. 

    "Ready, Great-Grandmother?" Shampoo asked as she pulled her bike around. 
Cologne hopped up on the handlebars and nodded. 
    "Quickly, Shampoo! To the hospital!" She pointed with her cane. 
    "Hey, you guys!" Ukyo protested. "How'm I supposed to get there? There's no 
more room on that bike!" 
    Shampoo looked at her with disdain. "Who say anything about us give YOU 
ride, spatula-girl?" 
    Cologne smiled pleasantly. "I'm afraid you'll just have to run along behind 
us, my dear. Hurry, Shampoo, time's wasting!" 
    "Aiyaa! Hold on, Ranma, Shampoo is coming!!" The bicycle took off like a 
streak, and Shampoo jumped it up onto the fence that ran along the street so as 
to avoid the normal traffic. 
    Ukyo could only stand there for a moment, shaking in fury. "Why ... that 
... I'll show HER!!! Run along behind -- yeah, right!" She looked around 
briefly, then dashed behind the Nekohanten. 

    The faces of pedestrians whizzed by in a blur as Shampoo and Cologne sped 
toward the hospital. They cruised through a busy marketplace and across crowded 
streets, Shampoo deftly guiding the bike with her martial-arts expertise. 
Finally, they reached a bridge crossing over one of the many waterways in 
Nerima, and their destination lay just beyond it. 
    "Akane may be rival for future husband," Shampoo told her Great-Grandmother 
as they passed over the bridge, "But Shampoo still hope she not hurt too badly. 
Worry about Akane, not as bad as worry about stupid spatula-girl." 
    Cologne was about to ask her to repeat what she'd just said in Cantonese, 
to be sure she had it right, but then she heard a voice below them. 
    "HEY!! I'm gonna beat you yet!" 
    "Speak of the devil," Cologne muttered, directing Shampoo's attention to 
the water on their left. 
    As Shampoo and Cologne were crossing the bridge, Ukyo was paddling her way 
across the channel on a raft of some kind, using her giant spatula as an oar. 
    "Raft look awfully familiar..." Shampoo said as she peered down at it.
    "It's the back door to the Nekohanten," Cologne sighed. "I had no idea that 
type of wood could float so well." 

    Ukyo paddled toward shore with renewed determination. She supposed it 
didn't matter now whether she actually beat Shampoo in the hospital's door or 
not, as she'd already demonstrated her ingenuity simply by arriving at the same 
time. Whereas Shampoo had had to take a longer route to cross the various 
channels and waterways that cut through town, Ukyo had simply made herself a 
raft and gone in a straight line. But, ingenuity aside, she still wanted to be 
the first one at Ranma's side. 
    She was near the shore, and the water was now shallow enough to walk in. 
Paddling just a bit nearer, Ukyo finally abandoned her raft and ran through the 
shallows toward the banks. I find a new use for this thing every day, she 
thought to herself as she sheathed her spatula. No sooner had she done that 
than she tripped over something in the water, going down face-first. 
    She could already hear Shampoo laughing as she pushed herself back up, 
turning to vent her frustrations on whatever rock had been foolish enough to 
cross her path. 
    And the rock hissed back at her, displaying a row of needle-sharp teeth 
lining a frighteningly large mouth. 
    Gasping, Ukyo reflexively scrambled away from the thing she'd tripped over 
a moment before. Reaching a safe distance, she looked at it more carefully. It 
looked like some kind of a big lizard, but nothing she'd ever seen outside a 
zoo. It glared at her with what seemed like genuine anger, then slid back into 
the water and disappeared under the bridge. 
    "Aiyaa!" Shampoo exclaimed as she and Cologne hurried down the slope from 
the street above, stopping alongside the thoroughly drenched Ukyo. "Shampoo 
never see lizard THAT big!" 
    "It was a crocodile," Cologne informed them, sounding very surprised 
herself. "It's extremely unusual to see one in a place like this, however. 
Perhaps it escaped from the zoo, or it could also have been a pet." Her eyes 
narrowed in thought. "How strange..." 

    Well, I guess I won't be getting in any practice for a while, Akane thought 
gloomily as she looked at her bandaged arms. I guess I should be grateful it's 
only as bad as this, though. I didn't even need as many stitches as Kuno did. 
    Her injuries finally taken care of, she sat on a bench across the hall from 
Happosai's room in a fairly vacant wing of the hospital. The voices of her 
father and Genma could be heard within, chanting something. They'd been at it 
all morning. 
    Akane's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps, 
and she looked up to find their source. "Nabiki!" she exclaimed, a relieved 
smile spreading across her face. 
    "Hiya, Sis," Nabiki replied, waving as Kasumi helped her over to the bench, 
where the three sisters then sat side by side. Nabiki's smile was more reserved 
than Akane's, but then again, Akane had never known her older sister to express 
emotion as openly as she did. In response to Akane's questioning gaze, Nabiki 
pulled up her sleeve and displayed her bandaged shoulder. 
    "Oh, does it hurt very much?" Akane asked, her tone one of concern. 
    Nabiki pulled her sleeve back down, her expression unchanged. "Oh, come 
now, Akane. I know and accept that I'm not as strong as you are, but even I can 
handle a little thing like this," she told her. 
    Akane frowned. "Well, I didn't mean THAT, it's just that--" 
    "I'm fine," her sister replied with what Akane thought was a more genuine 
smile. 
    She smiled back. "I'm glad." 
    "Both of you will have to be careful for a while, you know," Kasumi said, 
reminding them of her presence. "You don't want to aggravate your injuries." 
    Akane laughed cheerfully. "Kasumi, we're okay! It really isn't that big a 
deal. It's not like I've never been hurt worse than this. We're both fine." 
    "But, Akane..." Kasumi was interrupted by a particularly loud chant from 
Happosai's room, and she looked toward the door. 
    Sighing, Kasumi turned back to her younger sisters. "Oh, dear. I'm afraid 
the sake they drank last night hasn't quite worn off yet." 
    Akane snorted. "Nah, they're just fools." 
    "What are they doing in there, anyway?" Nabiki asked, indicating the 
chanting. 
    "Well, it's some kind of funeral rite..." Kasumi frowned. "...I think. I'm 
really not sure exactly what they're doing -- maybe they didn't hear what the 
doctor said about Grandfather's condition. In the state the two of them are 
in..." She looked worried. 
    Nabiki chuckled. "Go on, Sis," she told Kasumi. "You'd better look in on 
them. We'll be fine out here." 
    Kasumi stood. "You're sure you don't need anything?" she asked. 
    "Positive," Akane and Nabiki replied simultaneously. 
    Kasumi gave them one last look, then entered Happosai's room. 
    "Poor Kasumi," Nabiki sighed without missing a beat. "An old maid before 
her time." She glanced at her youngest sister. "We can't ever let that happen 
to US, Akane." 
    "Wh ... what? How can you say that?" Akane asked in disbelief. "Kasumi 
isn't an old maid! I can't believe you'd say such a thing." 
    "Why? It's true," Nabiki countered. 
    Akane opened her mouth to argue, but she was cut off. 
    "Akane!" 
    Turning, Akane saw Ranma walking down the hall towards them. He stopped in 
front of the bench. 
    "So..." he paused. "They finally got done with you, huh?" 
    "Yup!" Akane replied cheerfully. "I'm all fixed up!" She suddenly realized 
that she'd seen a glimmer of concern in Ranma's eyes, but when she looked back 
it was gone, replaced by his usual arrogence. 
    "Well, good," Ranma replied. "Maybe now, this'll teach you not to mess with 
dangerous things like monsters 'n' stuff." 
    "WHAT?? What's that supposed to mean?!" Akane demanded. "You got hurt too, 
you idiot!!" 
    "Ahhh, it's nothin'," Ranma scoffed, rubbing his back. "Just a tiny 
scratch." He pointed at Akane's arms. "Nothin' NEAR that." 
    Akane bristled. "Why, you..." she began, but was cut off again by a shout. 
    "SAOTOME!!" 
    Now it was Ranma's turn to look up, just in time to see Kuno charging down 
the hall at him, bokken drawn. 
    "Despite the fact that we have worked together toward a common goal, Ranma 
Saotome, do not think that I have forgiven or forgotten your transgressions 
against the pig-tailed girl!!" Kuno ranted as he careened toward his target. 
"You cannot resist my righteous fury!!" 
    "Man, your fury is anything BUT righteous," Ranma grumbled as he stepped 
forward to get the brief clash over with. As he did so, however, he tripped 
over Akane's foot (which just happened to be stretched out in front of him). As 
Ranma stumbled, Kuno's downward swing struck his head and smashed his face into 
the floor, cracking the surrounding tiles and causing Akane and Nabiki to wince 
sympathetically. (It also made a really loud noise.) 
    The dust cleared, and Kuno stood over his adversary. Ranma lay at his feet 
with his head embedded in the floor. A look of disbelief crossed Kuno's face, 
then he grinned triumphantly. 
    "Heh ... I smote him well." He turned to face the bench. "Akane Tendo, you 
have born witness to this great day! Come, my love, the villain stands between 
us no longer! Let us date freely, for what woman could ever refuse so striking 
and polished a figure as am I." He struck a dramatic pose. 
    "But Kuno-Baby, I think I should remind you," Nabiki cut in, "That you 
don't cut quite such a striking figure right now. You're in a hospital gown." 
    Kuno froze, then stiffened. He turned to glare at Nabiki. 
    "I must inform you, Nabiki Tendo," he intoned, "That of all the females I 
have ever known, you are the only one that I have ever truly despised." 
    Nabiki flashed him a bright smile. "Why, Kuno-Baby, I'm so honored to have 
that distinction." 
    Kuno turned on his heel and began walking away. He stopped after a few 
steps, and looked back at Akane. 
    "I shall return for you when I am properly attired, Akane Tendo," he 
announced. "Please retain your innocence and purity until that time." 
    "I'll try," Akane said dryly as Kuno departed. Then she turned her 
attention back to Ranma's smoking remains. "Come on, you idiot, wake up! You're 
gonna apologize for what you said!" 
    Nabiki sighed, leaning back against the wall. "I guess we'll have to face 
it, Akane ... you and I both have really lousy taste in guys." 
    Akane blinked, shocked to have heard her sister say such a thing aloud. She 
was so shocked, in fact, that she wondered if she was simply hearing things. 
    "What did you say??" She looked back up at Nabiki. 
    "Moi?" Nabiki replied innocently. 
    Akane blinked again, then smiled in understanding. She'd never hear an 
admission like that again... 
    ...Or give one in turn, she thought as she glanced at Ranma, who was still 
laying at their feet. 
    The brief moment of peace was shattered by a loud *CRASH!* from around the 
corner, followed by a lot of yelling. 
    As the two younger Tendo sisters looked on, Shampoo and Ukyo came barelling 
around the corner at breakneck speed, bits of broken glass raining from their 
hair and clothing. 
    "Get outta my way, ya hussy!!" Ukyo hollered at Shampoo. "I was here 
FIRST!!!" 
    "YOU get out of way!" Shampoo shot back, pushing her way into the lead. 
"Shampoo beat you, fair and square!" 
    The two girls didn't see Ranma and ran right over him, trampling his body 
into the floor. Shampoo was the first to realize what had happened and shot 
back like a magnet, grabbing Ranma and yanking him out of the concrete in one 
smooth motion. Ukyo was right behind her, and in an instant they were playing 
tug-of-war with Ranma. 
    "Ranma! Wo da ai len!" Shampoo squealed. 
    "Ranma, honey! Are you hurt? I heard there was a big fight last night! I 
was so worried!" Ukyo told him between tugs. 
    "Uuuwwwwwaaaauuuuullluuuaaaauuuuuugggggghhhhhh..." was Ranma's response. 
    "Hello, Akane. How are you feeling?" a voice asked. 
    Diverting her attention from the wrestling match, Akane looked around. 
Cologne had appeared a few feet away. 
    "Oh, hello!" Akane replied, bowing slightly. 
    "What's this I hear about monsters who prowl by night?" Cologne continued. 
    Before Akane could answer, the door to Happosai's room opened, and Kasumi 
emerged, looking anxious. "Ranma! Come here, quickly!" she said, completely 
oblivious to the fact that Ranma was about to be ripped in half by Shampoo and 
Ukyo. 
    "What is it, Kasumi?" Akane asked, noting the urgency in her sister's 
voice. 
    "It's Grandfather!" Kasumi answered. "He's awake, and he wants to talk to 
Ranma right away!" 
    "Huh?" Ranma snapped back to reality.