It was the middle of the night. One of the only times that the district of Nerima was consistently quiet. As the resident martial artists slept, dreaming up their next engagement breaking plots and havoc wreaking battles, a new figure appeared from beneath the night's shadow.

She was clad in what appeared to be a deep blue one-piece bathing suit with matching arm and ankle bands. Not unusual for that particular district, as other girls have donned similar outfits in the past. However, this one had a sash tied around her waist with a sheathed dagger attached behind. Completing her outfit was a mask and hood that concealed her identity. Without a sound, she leapt from rooftop to rooftop, taking in as much of the town as she could.

Not too long ago, the ninja was commissioned to track down and retrieve someone. Recently, she had an altercation with that person, but they managed to give her the slip. However, she was able to track that person to this district. Perhaps that person made their home here and just liked to travel every now and then. Perhaps they didn't actually live there; they just liked passing through often. The whys weren't really that important.

Dropping down to street level, she let out s sigh of frustration. Once again, her search was fruitless. Truth be told, she didn't expect anything less of her prey, they being proficient in the martial arts as well. She didn't expect this to be easy, but she didn't think it would be this...not easy. Well, there wasn't anything else she could do. The sun would be up in a couple of hours and she was exhausted from the trip and subsequent search throughout town. She would find a place where she could crash and take up the search again tomorrow night. Hopefully, her prey wouldn't have made themselves scarce by then.

Suddenly, she paused. She seemed to have taken on extra weight for some reason. She craned her neck to check herself as best she could. She found a strange shriveled up lump of...something firmly attached itself to her behind without her noticing.

As she wondered how it got onto her without her knowing and how she should get it off, it looked at her and flashed a perverted grin. "Hiya, toots," it said, as it squeezed her butt cheeks.

At that point, all of the years of ninja training had gone out the window. She responded to him in the same manner in which every woman of Nerima, who had the misfortune of running into the pintsized, lecherous martial arts master, did.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

-

Dreamweaver Studios Presents

Ranma½

And the Beat Goes On

"There Is No End, Just A New Beginning"

-

The next day, during the middle of the afternoon, Ranma and Akane paid a visit to Dr. Tofu's clinic for a check up. The injuries Ranma endured at Arame's hands were quite extensive and he had been under the doctor's care for quite some time afterwards. Thankfully, Ranma was very good at recovering from injury and finally, a couple of weeks removed from the incident, Ranma was given a clean bill of health.

With Ranma taken care of, he persuaded Dr. Tofu to examine Akane. He wanted to make sure that she suffered no lingering effects from the battle either. The main thing, though, was he was curious as to how she was able to withstand that powerful blast and come away with it relatively unharmed. Of course, he made sure not to mention this to either.

As soon as he touched her, Dr. Tofu got an extremely confused look on his face. He didn't say anything about it immediately, he simply continued his examination, checking Akane's torso, spine and limbs, making sure there were no breaks, sprains, or severe bruises. Though he tried to hide his expression, it didn't escape the engaged couple's notice.

"Hmm," said the doctor. "There doesn't appear to be anything to worry about. She's fine."

"You sure doc?" Ranma asked. "You looked kinda concerned there for a second."

"Well, that is true. I wasn't attuned to it properly to get a proper reading, but I did sense something with her aura."

"Anything to be concerned about?"

"Probably not. But I should check it out just to make sure." With their nod of approval, Dr. Tofu focused his ki and began his second examination of Akane.

Even though Dr. Tofu did say that it probably wasn't anything to worry about, Ranma couldn't help but do so. What Akane did for him was exactly the same thing Mrs. Tendo did for her husband in that story he was told. With them having finally declared their love for each other, Ranma would've been devastated if he found out Akane was going to die in the same way. It didn't matter to him whether it would come in ten minutes or ten years, he couldn't bear the thought of losing her because he couldn't protect her. Worse, for her to die protecting him? He didn't think he could continue with life under those circumstances.

As Dr. Tofu continued his exam, the look of confusion on his face got deeper and deeper. "This is incredible," he said finally.

"What is it?" asked Ranma, hopeful since the first words out of the doctor's mouth didn't bode anything unfortunate.

"I don't think I've ever felt an aura like this," he explained. "It's so faint, it's not visible to us, even with our enhanced sensitivity to the ki of others. Even still, it's very powerful. So powerful, in fact, I don't think any other type of energy field would be able to penetrate it."

Akane raised an eyebrow, "What, exactly, does that mean, Doctor?"

"That means if someone...say Ranma here, tried to hit you with their ki based attacks, they wouldn't be able to touch you. Even at rest, your aura is acting like an energy barrier, protecting you from outside energy sources."

Akane's eyes lit up, "So that's why Arame's attack didn't kill me when I jumped in front of it!"

"It's probably another ability you picked up when you went through your transformation," Ranma speculated.

Ah, yes. The transformation. Dr. Tofu was still of two minds about the whole demonic heritage thing. Fundamentally, the Tendo sisters were still the same people he had known for all those years. He doubted it would change things between he, Nabiki and Akane. It was Kasumi he was concerned about. He cared for her very deeply at one time, but knowing what she really was, would his feelings for her change?

Just as his thoughts had shifted towards her, she came walking in the door. "Hello, Doctor. I was just stopping by to see if Ranma and Akane were coming back home soon."

"Ah! Kasumi! Fancy meeting you here of all places," He said...to his skeleton. Guess he didn't have to worry about his feelings for her changing.

"Oh my, he sure is silly, isn't he?" commented Kasumi with a sweet natured laugh.

"Well, looks like our checkups are finished," said Akane.

"Yeah. Guess it's time to get back to work," added Ranma.

----+----+----+----+----

One of the good things about the district of Nerima was the government's public services. Whenever there was a major disaster in the area, especially one committed by one or more of the resident martial artists, a special task force known as N-MARC or the Nerima Martial Artist Repair Crew would leap into action. With their ultra skilled technicians and construction workers, anything from buildings to entire city blocks could be repaired almost immediately.

Unfortunately, N-MARC's recourses were mainly available for government agencies and businesses. It only the occasional circumstance where this special service group would assist in the repair of a private home. For Soun Tendo, this wasn't one of those special circumstances. However, it didn't much matter. He built that dojo piece by piece by himself, just about. It was a very extensive project, to be sure, but it didn't take him very long. This time, with the help of his friend, Genma, his family and a couple of friends, repairs wouldn't take very long at all.

It had been nearly a month since Arame destroyed their dojo, and already, there had been major headway in its restoration. The outer shell had already been replaced, save a few shingles on the roof. He figured in another two weeks, they'd have the inside completely done as well. He smiled. In a way, he was, once again, sticking it to Arame. Once the last nail was hammered in, she would have failed to destroy the Tendo family legacy. If she dared to show her face again, he had no doubt they would defeat her again.

Soun looked up at the roof, being finished by Genma, Mousse and Ranma, who had gotten back from Dr. Tofu's office not too long ago. He wasn't sure why Mousse was there helping them, but he was all to happy to have him. He was also happy to see that he and Ranma weren't tearing down what was built up so far in one of their battles. Quite the contrary, they seemed to be...almost sociable to each other.

"Would you like some tea, sir?"

"Why yes, thank you," answer Soun, taking the cup from the young red head. Autumn, if memory served. He had no idea who this new arrival was, but she and Mousse seemed quite close and getting closer every day. Soun didn't pay much attention to all of the circumstances that surrounded the young ones in the community and really hadn't had much interaction with Mousse. From what he understood, though, he was interested in that Shampoo girl. Soun knew Shampoo quite well, though. He knew Shampoo was madly in love with his daughter's fiancée and the lengths to which she would go to have him. He guessed Mousse finally got tired of chasing after a girl who was in love with someone else. Soun couldn't blame him in the least.

Looked like he made a decent choice in a girl this time as well. Autumn seemed quite pleasant to be around. She also didn't burst through any walls to make an entrance, which scored even more points with him. And so helpful too. He took a long whiff of the tea she gave him...and nearly gagged. "Uh...what kind of tea is this?"

"It's a special medicinal tea made from a variety of herbs I sell at my shop," Autumn said with a smile. "I heard you used a lot of your strength to fight off that demon, so I whipped this up for you to build your energy back."

"Thank you, I appreciate it." He held it to his mouth, but pushed it away again. "Ugh...it smells so bad, though."

"If you think it smells bad, wait 'till you taste it," she said, making a disgusted face. "But it works, though. I guarantee it."

"If you say so." Soun held his nose closed and gulped the tea down. It didn't do much to help the taste, but he had to admit, once he was finished, he felt a little better almost immediately. "You're right. It works really well."

"If you drink one cup of that a day, everyday, you'll feel stronger all the time. It's been said to extend your lifespan as well," said Autumn.

"Hmm. I'll have to look into getting a steady supply of this, then."

She gave him a wink, "Be sure to stop by my shop when you have the time. I'll get you as much as you want."

"Hey! Tendo!" shouted Genma from the roof. "The last of the shingles are in. The roof's finished."

Soun looked up at his friend with a smile. The outside was completed. It wouldn't be much longer now. After a quick glance at the sky, Soun shouted back, "You finished just in time, Saotome. It looks like it's going to rain in a little bit."

Genma, Mousse and Ranma's eyes widened. Rain? They looked up at the sky and sure enough, deep gray clouds were rolling in, covering the light of the sun. Without a second thought, the three cursed martial artists dropped down to ground level and ran for cover. One roll of thunder was all the warning they got before the downpour began. They were a mere step away from the safety of the house when they were caught. The bad luck from their curse had struck again.

----+----

After getting inside the house and drying off, Autumn couldn't help but have a good laugh at the three men's expense. "I can't believe it...the three of you are cursed? How did you manage that?"

"We all went to Jusenkyo, we all fell in a spring," said the female Ranma, rolling her eyes.

Autumn laughed again. "It's still amazing to me. I haven't seen this many cursed people outside of a Chinese village. I just have to know...are there any other cursed people that live in this area?"

"Well, there's Shampoo," Ranma started, listing everyone she could think of. "Taro you know of already. Though, he doesn't live around here, thankfully. Oh, and..." Ranma stopped. With Akane sitting right next to her, it would be a very bad thing if he blurted out that Ryouga was cursed as well. "...and, that's everyone that I know of."

"That Shampoo girl is cursed too, huh? Serves her right." Ranma guessed from the reaction that Autumn and Shampoo had met already. Once again, Shampoo's charm had won another friend over. Autumn held up Mousse's duck form and began giggling again. "You're such a cute little ducky. Interesting how your glasses are still able to fit you, even in this form." She began to fiddle with the duck's glasses, then her eyes lit up, thinking of another way to torment him, "I know! Hey, Mousse! Will you say it for me? Come on...AFLAC!"

Mousse just glared at her.

"Here you go, everyone," called Kasumi, bringing in a kettle of warmed water.

"Me first, Please," Genma wrote on a sign. Kasumi poured a bit of the water on him and the panda switched back into human form. "Thank you, my dear," he said, glad to be able to talk again.

"My pleasure, Mr. Saotome. Okay, who's next?"

"Quack!" went Mousse, wiggling out of Autumn's grasp. He flew over and landed in front of Kasumi and she poured the water on him, changing him back into a human. Somehow, he was fully dressed again. "You're a lifesaver!"

"And that just leaves you, Ranma." Walking over to where he was sitting, she poured the last of the water on him, changing him back to his original, male form.

"Thanks, as always, Kasumi." He said. She gave him a warm smile, then went back into the kitchen to put away the kettle.

"Say, Mousse," Akane started. Mousse looked at her and saw she had draped her arms around Ranma's neck. They've gotten quite affectionate real quick. "I was wondering, since you aren't chasing after Shampoo anymore, does this mean you won't be attacking Ranma all the time?"

Mousse returned to his spot next to Autumn and sat down. "If by that you mean if I still see Ranma as my enemy? No." He looked at Autumn and smiled, "Things happen, I understand that all too well. I was just frustrated at how things had been going with me and Shampoo and saw you as a scapegoat. I figured if I defeated you, then our problems would go away and we'd finally be together." He began to look sad. "I suppose even if I did, it wouldn't have changed anything. I never had a chance from the beginning." Akane and Autumn noted his change in demeanor. Mousse clearly had some feeling for Shampoo still. Mousse looked at Ranma and smiled again, "But don't think it's over between us just because we're not enemies anymore. I still have my pride as a man as a martial artist. I'm going to keep training, I'm going to keep challenging you and I'm not going to stop until I defeat you."

Ranma smiled. "You know where you can find me. Just come whenever you're ready."

"You can count on it."

----+----

Once the rain had cleared up, Mousse and Autumn began their walk back to her shop, where she also lived. Seeing that Mousse was her fiancée, and that he had nowhere else to go, now Shampoo and Cologne's tribal enemies, she insisted he move in with her. To earn his keep there, he started working at her shop as well. He had limited training in the identification and use of the various herbs she was selling, but he was quickly learning his way around with her help.

Mousse couldn't help but think back to how casually affectionate Ranma and Akane had become. They were worried about how he viewed Ranma...Mousse was more concerned about what Shampoo's reaction was going to be once she found out. Not to mention all of the others. That was when Mousse took a broad look at the way things had always operated in Nerima. At that moment, he was the only one who recognized how things had changed. Involuntarily, he articulated his response once everything became clear, "Wow..."

Autumn looked at him, "What is it?"

"I just thought of something...Ranma and Akane had been in the center of a very large wheel of insanity. So many people are after them, it's crazy. I mean, you know about Shampoo already."

"Wait, you mean there are more girls after Ranma besides Akane and Shampoo?"

"A lot more. Some of them live in town. I don't even know many of the others. Heh, even his female side has attracted some suitors."

Autumn laughed, "Oh, wow. That must make for some awkward moments."

"And Akane has a bunch of guys after her affections too. Most of it came from Ranma and Akane's reluctance to admit how they felt about each other. Since they argued more than anything, everyone in town thought they hated each other and felt they had a chance. They swore they would get their hands on whichever of them it was they were after, and they didn't care who they had to run over to get what they wanted."

Autumn laughed again, "For such a small town, it sure is interesting here. Glad I came here. It's going to be quite a show."

"That's just the thing," Mousse continued. "From the way they were acting back at their place, it doesn't look like they're shy about their feelings anymore. There's no doubt that once how they feel is made known to all of the other wanna-be brides and grooms, things are going to get very bad, very quick. After that, there may not be much of a show left."

"Why's that?"

"Ranma and Akane has been the center of that wheel of insanity for a long time. Just about everything crazy that has happened to us has revolved around them. With them openly in love, they've effectively removed themselves from that wheel. Unless something else fills the void they left, all of the 'interesting' elements in this town WILL fly apart, to move on with their lives."

Autumn thought about it and came to the same conclusion he did, "Wow..."

"Exactly."

"I sure hope that doesn't happen. I mean, I just got here. I would hate to have missed all of the interesting times this town had to offer."

"That would probably mean another couple would have to become everyone's focus. I wonder what unlucky couple that would end up being." They continued to walk in silence, pondering on the future of the Nerima community. After a few steps, something else came to Mousse that he meant to bring up. He glared at Autumn again. "Aflac?"

That brought the smile back to Autumn's face. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it."

----+----+----+----+----

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