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 Version 1.1
 #include <ahoal/author_notes.h>
 #include <mega_crossover/std_disclaimer.h>
 #include <alternate_universe/std_disclaimer.h>
 #include <ranma/std_disclaimer.h>

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     Ranma finished cleaning up the dining room and kitchen from Akane's attempt at making dinner that night. //Amazing//, he thought with a frown, //even with Kasumi's help, she still botched it. One might think that she was a bad a cook as Minako-chan was. But... Nah.//

     Ranma felt a little guilt at what he had done, but he justified the sleep spell by thinking it was the best for everyone involved. //Besides they all looked like they could use a little dreamless sleep.//

     He took a container with bio-hazard warning labels on it from his pouch and placed Akane's attempt at dinner into it. The container glowed an angry red color for a few moments. Once the glow disappeared he walked out of the house to run a few errands.

     While he was out, he made a few phone calls using different public booths. He chuckled at his own paranoia in doing that. The rational part of his mind reminded him, //But it's not being paranoid, if someone is really after you....//

     Of course, the 'people' after him won't even brother trying to such a primitive method to find him by tracing the phone calls he was making, yet being cautious can make things simpler and healthier for everyone involved.

     He returned to the quiet Tendo household and checked in on the girls. He saw with his mind's eye that each of them were fast asleep in their beds with the statuettes he had given them placed nearby. He noted with a nod that when the moonlight illuminated the statues they glowed for a moment, a faint reddish-orange light, just as they were designed to do.

     He then headed back to the Dojo to continue the kata Akane and 'dinner' had interrupted. He could sense the magic in the statuettes activate and a small, sad smile appeared on his face as he thought of the statuettes that he had given the girls. //It's for the best,// he thought. //They could use the companionship, if nothing else. Besides, what's done, is done,// he answered himself. A small part of himself noted the absence of magic countered, //Or is it?//

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

     In Kasumi's room, the statuette of a phoenix rising from its funeral pyre began to glow a light bluish color that radiated from the outside in. The glow seems to gather within the pyre itself. There, it condensed and changed. Over the next five hours, the glow changed colors as if marking the passage of time. After the first hour passed, it changed from blue to green, the next hour from green to yellow, then yellow to orange, and finally, from orange to red. The red, a bright rosy color, changed to a fierce burning red. If someone was awake at that moment, they would have thought that the crystal pyre was a real-life, burning pyre. But only Ranma was awake and he was in the Dojo. The glow from the statuette reflected solely on Kasumi herself. As the light changed, the expression on Kasumi's face changed.

= - = - = - =

     Kasumi looked around herself. Everything seemed so... big! She couldn't understand it. //What had happened?// she wondered. Something made her look down at herself and then at her environment. In a nearby mirror, Kasumi saw herself. The reflection showed a little girl. She was wearing a yellow dress. It hung loosely on her small frame. The girl couldn't be more than five years old and yet the reflection was hers. Kasumi also noticed that in the little girl's right hand -- her hand -- was a cookie-cutter. To her right, she heard a three year old girl crying.... She turned towards the source, half-awed, half-fearful to find a young Nabiki crying. Kasumi's first instinct was to go to her sister and try to comfort her but before she could, Nabiki was lifted off the ground. She watched amazed as a woman, her mother, Kimiko Tendo, cuddled Nabiki to her bosom. Even knowing what was coming and trying to brace herself for it, she still felt cut to the quick as her mother frowned at her and said in a sad voice, "Kasumi-chan...." "But she would have cut herself, Okaasan," Kasumi-chan replied in order to defend herself. Her mother sighed and said, "You don't know that." "But you said..." Kasumi-chan began. "I said, 'to be careful,'" her mother finished for her. "There are certain things one must learn for oneself. Simply being told something, isn't always enough."

     "But she would have *hurt* herself," Kasumi-chan explained. "Kasumi-chan," her mother began. "While it's good that you are looking out for your sister..." "I'm the oldest," Kasumi-chan said proudly. "Yes, Kasumi-chan," her mother continue, "And you should look after your sisters..." "Because, I'm the oldest," Kasumi-chan repeated just as proudly a second time. She liked being the oldest, the other two were too young to help Mother, but she was the oldest so it did not matter how old actually she was. She loved helping her mother. "Yes." Kimiko sighed. "But there comes a time when you must let others do for themselves..."

     "But, Okaasan," Kasumi-chan said confused. She interrupted her mother and asked, "You said, as eldest, I had to look after them..."

     "Yes, Kasumi-chan," Kimiko answered. "But only at certain times... You must live your own life, too, Kasumi-chan."

     "But," Kasumi-chan protested.

     "Someday," her mother continued. "You will find a nice young gentleman... and settle down with him..."

     "Settle down?" Kasumi-chan asked in confusion. "Down where?"

     Kimiko smiled down at her eldest child and said, "All in good time, Kasumi-chan. All in good time."

= - = - = - =

     "Okaasan!" eight year old Kasumi-chan exclaimed as she tried to show her mother the picture she drew but her mother was talking to some woman Kasumi never saw before.

     "Hello, there," a woman with a kind face greeted her.

     "Hello," Kasumi-chan responded not knowing what to call her mother's friend but trying to be polite as her mother had taught her.

     "She looks just like you, Kimiko-chan," the woman replied to Kasumi's mother.

     Kimiko smiled at both of them, although Kasumi felt it was directed solely at her, and said, "Yes, Nozomi-chan, I think you are right. Kasumi-chan does look like I did at that age..."

     "And what do you want to be when you grow up, Kasumi-chan?" Nozomi asked her.

     "A grown-up!" Kasumi-chan replied with a giggle. Seeing that the adults didn't get the joke, she continued, "A doctor... so I can help people!"

     "That's a wonderful thing to be," came the reply from both adults.

     Kimiko smiled at her child as she says to Nozomi, "Yes, I think Kasumi-chan would make a great doctor... She's so caring when she helps me with her younger sisters."

= - = - = - =

     "Kasumi-chan..." her mother began then coughed. "Kasumi-chan..."

     "Hai," nine year old Kasumi responded.

     "Please, look after your sisters for me," Kimiko said.

     With tears in her eyes, Kasumi answered, "Hai, Okaasan."

     "But remember... you only have to look after them until they can take care of themselves," Kimiko continued. Images of an elderly Kasumi slaving away in the kitchen came to Kimiko's mind. "Don't let them become dependent on you... They need to grow up too."

     Kimiko Tendo smiled at her mature, young daughter as Soun took her out of her room as the doctors prepared her for her operation. She didn't think she would survive it... and she didn't.

= - = - = - =

     //Tonight going to be perfect,// Kasumi-chan thought. She had found her mother's recipes and tonight she felt she had finally gotten it right after three months of trying. She hoped that tonight her father won't start crying when he tastes her cooking instead of her mother's.

= - = - = - =

     "This house is a *mess*!" Kasumi-chan exclaimed as she got home from school. Sighing, Kasumi began to clean the house. After a while, she remembered a song that her mother used to sing as she cleaned up... so Kasumi-chan began to sing it as well.

= - = - = - =

     As parts of Kasumi's life passed before her, she realized she had done the very thing that her mother didn't want her to do.... The others had become dependent on her... and truth be told, she had become dependent upon them. Instead of accepting the fact that Kimiko Tendo was dead, Soun and his daughters simply had Kasumi fill the role like some mid-season replacement actress in a television series.

     In trying to replace their mother, Kasumi had lost her own identity. Too focused on trying to keep the household as it was when her mother was alive, Kasumi had lost Tofu-sensei.... She had allowed him to leave without expressing their feelings. And the worse part was she allowed everything to happen just the way it did... Although, for the life of her. She still couldn't see how things could have been different....

= - = - = - =

     When Kasumi woke up she dimly noted that the statuette that Ranma had given to her was dimmer as if some of the color had been drained out.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

     Once Nabiki got to her room, she closed her door and placed her statuette on her desk. After changing into her sleepwear, she sat at her desk and examined the statuette more closely to determine if her original thought about it was true.... And it was. The dragon appeared to be made out of gold and the dragon's horde was actual jewels and precious gems in miniature. She didn't know what Ranma had paid for the statuette but she had to guess that it must have been a small fortune.

     Nabiki leaned back in her chair and asked herself, //Where did Ranma-kun get the money?//

     As she contemplated this thought, another struck her as the moonlight fell on the statuette. //It's beautiful.... So realistic....//

     She sighed and said out loud, "As if *dragons* actually existed.... Sure, boys can turn into girls... men into panda.... And maybe, Gosunkugi can fly and light candles with some help from Ranma-kun.... But... over-grown lizards that breathe fire.... Besides, where could they hide?"

     With that thought, she headed to bed. She climbed into bed, adjusted her sheets to her liking and then fell asleep.

= - = - = - =

     After bathing in the moonlight for some time, the statuette glowed a faint blue. The blue glow then seemed to shift to a light green color. The light green into a bright yellow which seemed to deepen into the same color as the dragon. The glow, now the same color as the statuette, seemed to flicker for a moment and then it faded. The small dragon, itself or rather herself, began to vibrate slightly. The vibration continued until two long bat-like wings stretched out. Each wing was as wide as the dragon herself was long. After flapping her wings for a moment as if awaken from a long sleep, the dragon lifted herself off her horde and flew about the room. The little dragon examined everything she could and finally stopped to stare at Nabiki's face after landing gentle on her stomach. The dragon spent a few moments studying Nabiki's face, ending with her snout touching Nabiki's nose. The dragon pulled her face away then nodded to herself. Then settle down, resting on Nabiki's stomach.

= - = - = - =

     Nabiki was dreaming. She knew that but that information didn't seem to help her. She wanted to wake up but she couldn't. So, she did the best she could. She just sat there, completely naked, in her classroom as the instructor talked about algebra...

     She didn't know if she should laugh or cry. Here she was in her 'birthday suit' and not one of her classmates looked at her. None of the girls were embarrassed for her nor did any of the guys look took any interested in her.

     Knowing it was just dream, Nabiki decided to to flirt with the guys and make suggestive nude poses. She got a few guys attention -- they would see her naked chest, their eyes would widen in surprise with a small amount of drool escaping their mouths, and with a slight flush to their face they would look up into her eyes -- and then run screaming out of the classroom.

     The worse part was the girls would follow the screaming boy with their eyes and once out of the class, they would nod their heads in understanding.

     She couldn't understand it. She wasn't that bad looking... was she? Sure she didn't have onna-Ranma's figure which caused a number of boys, who knew about Ranma's curse, to turn their heads nor did she seem to attract men like Akane did but she wasn't ugly. In fact, she enjoyed wearing her short shorts and t-shirts since they showed off her female attributes quite well.

     //So what was different? In reality, people don't run screaming from me, so what's going on?// she asked herself. While trying to ponder this, the last school bell rang. Everyone got up and left her there alone, although she was dimly aware of it. She did realize it when someone tapped her on her shoulder. That someone was Akane who had a worried expression on her face. Taking a deep breath, Akane asked in a nervous voice, "Are you coming home with us, Oneesan?"

     Slightly startled, Nabiki just nodded her head. She got up and walked out of the school without passing through any school hallway or other classroom. It was if the door exiting the classroom somehow was linked to the door leading outside. Which was physically impossible since they were on different levels of the building.

     //But this is a dream,// a part of her mind answered, //and anything is possible in a dream.//

     Once passed the schoolyard's gate, Ranma joined them. Ranma walked in the middle of them with Akane on his left and Nabiki on his right, with the fence on Nabiki's right. In only a few moments, Nabiki realized that Ranma was using his larger body to shield her from the others on the street.

     Upon this realization, Nabiki got a warm, fuzzy feeling inside her and said to Ranma, "Thank you."

     Ranma just blushed and said nothing.

     "Ranma no baka!" Akane screamed as she hit Ranma with a mallet. "Baka! If she wants to go naked... Don't go trying to cover her up. Baka!"

     "But," both Ranma and Nabiki began at the same time. Nabiki blushed and knew that the blush went passed her cheeks. She also knew that anyone could see how far the blush did go. She secretly hoped that Ranma-kun would notice where her blush lead.

     Akane ran on head in anger leaving Ranma and Nabiki alone. They walked in silence the rest of the way home.

     Once they were alone, Nabiki wanted to ask Ranma a question but was afraid to hear the answer. Once they got home, she couldn't stand not knowing so she asked, "Why do the guys run screaming from me?" Striking a provocative pose, she added with a laugh, "Aren't I sexy?"

     Ranma swallowed, looked around for Akane, then answered, "Yes, Nabiki you're cute but --"

     "But what?" Nabiki interrupted.

     "But the other guys think... thatyoudon'thaveasoul," Ranma rushed.

     "No soul?" Nabiki replied with a pale face.

     "Of course you have a soul, Nabiki," Ranma countered. "You just hide it... that's all."

     "Hide it?" Nabiki echoed. To herself, she thought, //That doesn't make any sense. I'm completely nude... how can I be hiding anything?//

= - = - = - =

     Nabiki had a vague feeling that she had gotten up, went to the bathroom, and went back to sleep. She also vaguely remembered seeing something gold-colored in her sheets and heard a small noise of annoyance as she had gotten up and returned to bed but she couldn't remember what its source was.

= - = - = - =

     She knew she was dreaming again. She looked around and realized that she was back in her room. Looking down, she saw that she was dressed in her usual t-shirt and shorts. She laughed nervously. The last dream, in which she was nude throughout it, had disturbed her. More than she wished it had. Especially since she still did not understand that dream. But this time, everything in her room looked all right. Everything was in its proper place. Her bed was made. Her dragon was playing with her computer. Her books were align on the book shelves. Her clothes were neatly put away. But as she looked around more closely, a nagging thought that something was wrong kept trying to get her attention. But she could not see anything wrong...

     "Oneesan, do you want to join us for ice cream after school today?" Akane asked from the doorway.

     "Huh?" Nabiki replied since Akane had actually caught her off-guard. Remembering that she had an 'appointment' after school that day, she answered, "No... I have other plans for the day."

     "Okay, Oneesan," Akane replied with a giggle.

     Nabiki hadn't been looking at Akane when she first asked her question, she was still trying to puzzle out what was wrong. At Akane's giggle though Nabiki looked at her and quickly looked away. In a instant, Nabiki knew what was wrong. Akane was wearing a light yellow dress with a red ribbon in her hair -- not too unusual -- but Akane was the sole source of color in the room.... Everything else in the room, Nabiki included, were in shades of gray, like a pen and ink drawing. She couldn't help thinking, //Not a bad job. The Artist must be very talented. I wonder if s/he has an agent yet?//

     //Baka!// she screamed in her head. //This isn't a drawing, it's my room.//

     Another part of her mind then commented, //So where's the color?//

     Once she was alone again, she said to herself out loud, "Where is the colors?"

     Her dragon shrugged her shoulders and looked at her as if to say, 'Good question... too bad I don't have an answer.'

= - = - = - =

     The small gold dragon looked at Nabiki as she turned in her sleep. She did not like being thrown off when Nabiki had gotten up to use the toilet. Once Nabiki returned, the small dragon took half an hour to re-settle herself glaring at Nabiki the whole time for distrubing her. So when Nabiki start turning in her sleep the little dragon was miffed. She wished the Human would make up her mind... was Nabiki going to get up again or not. She was not going to be caught unaware again.

= - = - = - =

     Nabiki lifted her head slightly to look around her room. Everything seemed normal.... Everything was in color and she was dressed. Nabiki sighed and looked at her clock. There was still time before she had to get up so she went back to bed failing to notice the golden lump in her lap.

= - = - = - =

     The rays of sunlight woke the small dragon up. She looked at Nabiki, she looked around the room, then looked at the clock in exactly the same manner as Nabiki had done previously. Like Nabiki, she sighed, flew back to her horde, and took up a guarding position perched upon her horde.

= - = - = - =

     When Nabiki finally woke up several hours later, she noticed that the statuette was shining as if it had been polished. Her mind dimly noted something else was different about the statuette, it was as if, the little dragon was in a different position that she remembered from the night before, but that was impossible she thought it was after all only a statuette.

     A smile came to Nabiki's face for some unknown reason as she observed that in the Sunlight, the statuette seemed to glow with an inner light that seemed to pulse like a heart beat. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

     Akane went angrily to her room. //The Baka gave Kasumi and Nabiki their presents,// she thought. //But I, his fiancee, have to *beg* and *grevle* for what is rightfully mine. Baka!//

     Once the door was secured behind her, tears began to fall as she readied herself for bed. It was only when she tried to remove her shirt that she realized that she was still holding the statuette and book in her hands. She sighed and placed both on her desk. After which, she went to her closet and got out a nightgown. She put it on and started to brush her hair. One hundred eleven strokes later, Akane had calmed down quite a bit. A little voice in her head reminded her, //Ranma came back for you. Not for your sisters... Not for Shampoo, Ukyou, or Kodachi... For *you*.//

     Realizing that the little voice was right, Akane sighed. It was then that she noticed that the statuette that Ranma gave her was a realistic tigress in miniature. She noticed that the unknown artist had captured the tigress's image as she tried to strike out with her front, left paw. Akane simply stared at the statuette in shock. A single thought raced through her mind, //What is Ranma doing with a statuette of a *realistic cat*?//

     As she thought of one hundred and one reasons why Ranma, a person with a very serious cat-phobia, would have a realistic cat statuette on him Akane re-read the title of the book that he had given her. The title was still 'Seeko's Guide to Cooking for the Culinary Challenged.'

     After looking up what 'culinary' meant, she began to cry and mumble. If anyone was listening, they would have heard words like 'cook,' 'wife,' 'baka,' and 'bad' used in a variety of combination. Upon seeing the statuette again through her tears, she calmed down and went to bed.

= - = - = - =

     Akane was confused. Just a moment ago, she was getting ready for bed, but now, she was standing in the schoolyard and it was lunch time. Feeling lonely, she went searching for Ranma. After a few moments, she found him talking with some of his friends. One of his friends, Akane couldn't tell which one since all she saw was his hand, pointing her out to Ranma.

     She heard him say, "Later guys," just before he walked over to her and asked, "Wha's up?"

     With a smile on her face, she replied, "I made you lunch!"

     Ranma's face paled and asked, "Nani?"

     "Here," Akane said as she thrusted the boxed lunch at Ranma.

     "But," Ranma started to say but Akane growled, "Ranma."

     Gulping some air, Ranma took the offered lunch and sat down.

     Eagerly, she asked, "Well? Are you going to eat it?"

     Ranma sighed, opened the lunch, and took a bite. After a few minutes of chewing, he swallowed it, and then began throwing up. While holding his stomach, Ranma muttered, "Stupid uncute tomboy can't even cook a simple --"

     Akane got angry. And when Akane got angry she did what she always did... she struck out. With her trusted mallet she bashed Ranma on the head as she screamed, "Ranma no baka!"

     She then turned around and walked away from Ranma while muttering, "Let the Bimbo have the Pervert..."

     After taking five steps, she heard a scream behind her. Spinning around, she saw someone standing over Ranma's still body. In a daze, Akane walked back towards Ranma. As she walked back, she couldn't help being mad that the baka hadn't gotten up yet. She stopped a few paces from Ranma and noticed that the person standing over Ranma was Sayaka, one of her friends. Sayaka had a wild look in her eyes as she screamed, "You *killed* him!"

     "Huh?" Akane replied lamely.

     Sayaka repeated, "You've killed *Ranma*!"

     It was then that Akane noticed all the blood around Ranma's head, which had been smashed in.

     More of Akane and Ranma's friends gathered and told her, "You *killed* him! You've killed *Ranma*! You *killed* him!"

     "But--" Akane began. She was interrupted as several police officers dragged her way. At which point, Akane began to scream, "Nooooo!"

= - = - = - =

     Akane woke up silently screaming. It took a few moments for reality to re-insert itself. Once it did, she sat up and held herself for a few moments as she told herself it was only a dream -- a nightmare. She looked at the statuette that Ranma had given to her, and she felt herself calming down and falling back to sleep.

= - = - = - =

     She knew she was dreaming again but that fact didn't ease her fears of what would happened. She remembered her previous dream in which she killed Ranma and she feared that this dream would be similar.

     Once more, she dreamed that she was in the Furinkan's schoolyard at lunchtime. Once again, she felt lonely and sought Ranma out. Once again, he was with a group of his friends. Once again, one of his friends, Akane still couldn't tell which one since all she saw was his hand, pointing her out to Ranma. She once again heard Ranma say, "later guys," just before he walked over to her and asked, "Wha's up?"

     With a smile on her face, but a dread in her stomach, she replied, "I made you lunch!"

     Ranma's face paled once again and asked, "Nani?"

     "Here," Akane said as she thrusted the boxed lunch at Ranma with a feeling of deja vu.

     "But," Ranma started to say but Akane used her secret weapon against him, one for which she knew he had no defense or counter for, using her puppy dog eyes and a tear escaping her left eye, she pleaded, "Please? For me?"

     Ranma looked at the lunch box, then looked at Akane's pleading, puppy dog eyes, and then at the lunch box. Sighing, Ranma sat down, opened the offered lunch, and took a bite. After waiting a few moments, Ranma looked around sighed again, and took another bite. Which was followed by another bite, and another, and another. After a few more bites, Ranma had finished the lunch.

     Unable to help herself, Akane asked, "Well?"

     "It was... good," Ranma said in wonderment.

     A crowd of students suddenly appeared and cried, "Nani?!?!"

     Ranma began to sweat as he saw the crowd and then looked back at Akane. He looked at the crowd, then at Akane, then back to the crowd again. Both of them could hear the crowd whispering its wonderment.

     Happily Akane asked, "The lunch I made for you? It was good? As good as Kasumi?"

     "Now, I wouldn't go *that* far..." Ranma stated while looking at the crowd. "Kasumi is an experienced, excellent cook."

     //That's true,// Akane remarked to herself. Out loud, she asked, "As good as Ukyou?"

     "Hmmm..." Ranma responded. "I wouldn't say that...."

     Seeing the anger rise on Akane's face, he added, "Her cooking is her family's Art Form...."

     "But," Akane stammered. "Then how about Shampoo? Or Nabiki? Or..." Ranma remained silent.

     Exploding Akane cried, "Then who?"

     While solely looking at the crowd, Ranma answered, "like an uncute tomboy who's been cooking for only a few months without any instructions."

     "RANMA!" Akane screamed as she advanced on him with her mallet.

     Ranma, wisely, started running with Akane in hot pursuit.

     The various students around the yard watched Akane chase Ranma. Each reacted with various different expressions on their faces, but each one of them got out of their way.

     Eventually, Akane cornered Ranma. She raised her mallet in her righteous anger in order to smite her enemy when she felt a stab in her back. Pain flooded throughout her body causing her to fall to her knee, then to fall completely down.

     As the world grew dim, Akane thought she heard a voice. It was her own voice but from far away saying, "See... I told you. Her anger makes her blind to everything else. I told you I could do it.... It was so easy. Easy... Hahahahahahahhaha... So easy...."

= - = - = - =

     Akane woke up yet again.

     She immediately went to the mirror, took off her nightgown, and examined herself for any marks on her body. She knew she was being silly... after all, it was just a dream, right?

     Besides, you can't stab yourself in the back, right?

     You can't kill yourself, right?

     You can't be your own worst enemy, right?

     Those were impossible, right?

     Akane wished someone would tell her she was right...

= - = - = - =

     After a few moments, Akane calmed herself down as she looked at her statuette. She dimly noted that the statuette seemed duller then. She had thought that when Ranma had given it to her, it's fur coat was a midnight black... Now the fur was a dim off-grey color... given the tigress a look of old age and tireness. Not trusting her memory, she just shrugged her shoulders and went back to bed.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

     Kasumi felt the sunlight on her face. As she turned to look at her clock, she noted that in the sunlight, her statuette looked even less alive that when she had gotten it from Ranma the previous night. When she finally looked at her clock and realized that she had overslept for an hour. She got dressed and headed downstairs to make breakfast. She dimmly realized she felt more rested and energized than she ever had.

     When she entered the dining room, various pleasant smells came from the kitchen. For a brief moment, Kasumi thought she was still dreaming and any minute now, her mother would come out with breakfast. She dismissed this idea with some regret since she knew she wasn't dreaming. She was too wide-awake and alert for that.

     As she got to the table, she heard Ranma say, "Take a seat... Breakfast will be ready in a moment."

     //Maybe I am dreaming,// Kasumi thought as what Ranma had said fully registered in her mind.

     True to his word, Ranma came out with breakfast and set everything in front of her so she could serve everyone.

     Kasumi noted that Ranma had made breakfast with everything she herself would have done. When she motioned to serve Ranma, he said, "I've already eaten.... I'll be in the Dojo..."

     So saying Ranma headed off rather quickly.

     A few moments left, Nabiki and Akane came down, both yawning. Seeing their yawns, however, Kasumi felt herself yawn in sympathy.

     After recovering, Kasumi passed out breakfast to Nabiki and Akane. Nabiki began eating immediately while Akane looked around.

     Puzzled, Akane asked, "Oneesan, where's Ranma?"

     "Oh, he's in the Dojo practicing," Kasumi answered.

     Nabiki stopped eating for a moment and commented, "Isn't he going to eat?"

     Kasumi calmly stated, "he said, he had already eaten."

     Nabiki looked interested in that statement but said nothing. Akane sighed.

     After finishing, Nabiki said, "Oneesan, your breakfast is great... In fact, I think if is one of your best. You've out done yourself."

     "But, I didn't cook it," Kasumi replied honestly. "Ranma did."

     "Nani?!?" both Akane and Nabiki stated at the same time.

     Turning to Akane, Nabiki said with a wide smile, "That's some iinazuke you got. Not only is he better looking than you... He can cook better than you."

     Akane just grumbled.

[=== End of Part 4 ===]

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Last Updated: Tue Dec 23 18:53:11 CST 2003
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