Chapter Four
Working Girl
Nabiki had to know where they were going. She didn’t like the feeling of walking aimlessly. “Kasumi? Where are we headed?” “My friend owns a restaurant not too far from here. We’ll wait there until she gets off work. Then we’ll follow her to her apartment nearby.” “So we’ll just sit at a table and interrupt her business?” Nabiki thought it odd the proprietor would allow such an act. “There is a small living space above the restaurant. She doesn’t use it except for storage.” Kasumi explained. “We should quicken our pace. We’ll want to be there before the rush.” “I can help if she needs it.” Ranma interjected. “I have experience.” She quickly added. “We’ll have to see when we get there. It isn’t much further now. We should be able to see it when we round the corner.” They arrived to find a moderate sized crowd seated inside the Restaurant. Only Nabiki took notice of the name but didn’t think to mention it. They entered to the sound of a tinkling bell and the dull roar of the conversations. They were greeted by a cheerful male voice. “Welcome to the… Kasumi? I didn’t expect you so early. Did you even have dinner?” “We ate early. We didn’t want to spend another minute longer at that house than we had to. These are my sisters, Nabiki and Akane.” She motioned to each as she said their names. “And this is Ranma, the friend I mentioned.” “I used to know someone named Ranma. He was still just I child when I last saw him, then again I was too.” “I didn’t catch your name.” Nabiki interrupted. “You should have, it’s on the sign.” She said pointing to the front of the restaurant. “What’s your real name then, Ucchan?” Nabiki was being rude, but she wanted to know who she’d be staying with. “Kuonji Ukyou. I…” “Ucchan?” Ranma muttered. “I thought you looked familiar.” Ranma added, a little louder, cutting her off. “I’m sorry, have we met?” Ukyou looked curiously at the redhead Ranma silently cursed. Of course Ukyou wouldn’t recognize him like he was now. “If I could get a cup of hot water I can explain, but that can wait. I feel the explanation needs to be a little bit more private. If you want I can help until we leave.” She offered. “I could use a waitress, do you have experience?” “I worked for a little bit at a restaurant in China, grandmother wanted me to have some experience before we moved. I’ll be working at her restaurant once it gets finished.” She supplied, needlessly. “You expect pay? Or will you be working for tips.” “I don’t need any money. It’s just that I don’t want to be a burden on you. I thought if I could help then it wouldn’t be like that.” Ranma looked down sadly. “I don’t want to be like my father.” “Tips it is then.” Ukyou stated. “But I…” Ukyou quickly cut the girl off. “I heard what you said. The help that you can offer will be more than enough. You’ll take the tips or I’ll give them to Kasumi with orders to spend the money on you.” “Okay, I’ll take the tips. Not that I have any choice.” “That’s right you don’t, there’s a waitress uniform in the back that you…” “If I’m taking tips I’m going to be doing it right. I’ve got a waitress outfit in my pack; it should draw far more money than I’ll know what to do with.” Minutes later Ranma was staring sadly at the waitress uniform Ukyou had on hand. She wouldn’t have had to wear the proper underwear with the pants that were a part of that uniform. As it was, she felt nearly naked in the tiny Chinese dress she was currently wearing. The slightest wrong movement and it wouldn’t be too hard for anyone to see her panties. It was the possibility of seeing her underwear that drew the customers, mostly male. Ranma knew how to move though, and that possibility would seem dim indeed by the end of the night. “Just wait until Grandmother’s restaurant opens,” Ranma thought to herself. “No man will be coming here unless they are with their wives, not when they get their first glimpse of mom.” She laughed, drawing the Tendou’s attention. “Something funny, Ranma?” Nabiki raised an eyebrow at Ranma’s uniform. “Or are you just giggling in glee over your beautiful body?” “When you meet my mother, think about this moment. Hopefully you’ll understand. Now if you’ll excuse me. I have work to do.” Ranma left then, leaving the Tendou sisters alone. “How can you two be so composed around him? Acting like he’s a real girl, pretending to be his friend. You’d better be careful. If he finds out you’ve been lying to him you’ll probably be his next victims.” “There is no act Akane. She is a normal girl and yes we are her friends. She will not kill us. She is not a murderer Akane. She kills only when she has to. You heard her yourself, she regrets having to kill.” “So he says. But I bet its all part of his elaborate…” It was Kasumi who slapped her sister this time. “She is not like that! You have no idea the harm you caused her when you acted the way you did. If I hadn’t been there, the next life she took would have been her own. She was that upset. Do you want her death on your conscience? Or would you not understand it, like you didn’t understand when mother passed away?” Kasumi hoped she hadn’t gone too far. “Why are you defending him? You don’t even know him.” Akane was trying to find anything she could use against Ranma. She had to know their reasoning before she could fight against it. Nabiki couldn’t hold back any longer. She lashed out, not with fists, but her words. “It seems I know her better than my own sister. You know better than to pass judgment without getting to know someone first. You used to be ostracized at school until the students got to know you, how can you do the same to another?” “Akane you have to understand,” Kasumi was saying. “Ranma is a very troubled person. The first night here she woke me up with her crying. She was hurting in ways we couldn’t imagine. She has survived some horrible things. Her nightmare… I can only imagine the pain she suffered. She has killed, there is no denying that fact, but it doesn’t make her a murderer.” Suddenly something clicked in Kasumi’s mind. “This isn’t what this is about, is it? You’re not upset that Ranma has killed. You’re upset because Ranma is a boy. If Ranma were a real girl we wouldn’t be having this conversation, would we? This whole time we’ve been referring to Ranma as a girl, while you’ve been thinking of him as a boy. That is the root of this problem. Ranma is a boy and therefore evil. Akane, it is far past time for you to grow up and get over the boys are icky mindset.” Nabiki jumped in. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it myself. Kasumi hit it right on the head. Because Ranma is a boy, a boy who easily defeated you, and has killed, you’re terrified of him. You never once in your mind connected him with other boys until you learned he had killed; now you think that he is a pervert like all the rest. Get over yourself Akane. Not all boys are like that, and Ranma wouldn’t be like that. He has a girl’s body; he could just as easily be victimized himself.” “I never thought about it that way.” “She admits it.” Nabiki pointed out. “Now we’ve come to the heart of the matter. Look past your preconceived notions about boys and see what we see. We see a kind soul, just looking for acceptance. Even though she has killed she still conveys a feeling of innocence. Ranma’s scared and until now, alone. Ranma needs people like us to be his, or her, friends.” Akane began to cry. “What have I done?” Neither Nabiki nor Kasumi could answer that. They had ideas about what she had done, but they had no idea just how deeply Akane’s actions had affected Ranma. The hugged their little sister, giving her all the love they had to give. The mood was much lighter downstairs. Ukyou and Ranma had worked themselves into a steady rhythm. It hadn’t taken long for Ukyou to start tossing her delicate dishes across the restaurant to a waiting Ranma. It seemed that no matter how wild the throw Ranma was always there. The added bonus was that the extra movement was increasing the chance for a free show, in the minds of the spectators at least. Ranma was ecstatic about some of the tips she had already received. They were well in excess of the wages she received while in the PRC. The rush had come and gone, there were only a few late night stragglers remaining. Ranma had pocketed 75000 Yen, or roughly 665 American dollars. With Ranma’s help, Ukyou was able to serve 300 okonomiyaki in half a day. Ukyou normally could only sell that many in a full 12-hour day. “You did good, sugar. With you around I would only have to be open half as long. Of course I wouldn’t do that, wouldn’t want to disappoint my customers. You’re welcome to work here anytime.” “We’ll see if you still think the same way after tonight. I don’t think you’re going to like what I have to say.” Ranma sadly stated. “As you said, sugar, we’ll see. You go on upstairs; I’ll take care of cleanup.” Ukyou smiled as she directed the girl toward the back room. Kasumi stood when Ranma entered. She took in the forlorn expression on Ranma’s face and quickly went to her side. She gave the girl a reassuring hug. “What’s wrong Ranma?” “I have a bad feeling about tonight. Ukyou is… was an old friend.” Ranma moved into Kasumi’s hug, trying to get as much reassurance as she could. “You were the boy she mentioned.” Kasumi whispered “Yes I… wait a minute, she?” Ranma stepped back, looking Kasumi in the eyes. “Oh, didn’t you know, Ukyou is a girl. She’s been living as a boy for most of her life. Apparently she'd been engaged, but her groom left her behind. She’s been living as a boy, trying to seek out the groom and his family to get revenge. She wouldn’t go into too many specifics. She’s been here almost a year now, after having received a tip that her groom would be coming to Nerima.” “Damnit! This is not happening; tell me this is not happening.” Ranma was livid; she knew what it was about. “What is it Ranma?” Kasumi calmly questioned. “When we were in the Amazon village there were a few girls that showed up, said they were my fiancée’s. Pops left behind him a trail of engagements. I can only assume that Ukyou was one of them. I’m the groom she’s seeking.” Ranma growled angrily. “Sorry sugar, but you don’t look much like a groom to me. Last I knew same sex marriages were illegal in Japan. Are you really Ranma, the one I used to know?” Ukyou asked sadly. She continued when Ranma nodded. “This is just great! All this time and I couldn’t have gotten married anyway. I’ve wasted so much of my life for nothing.” “That isn’t necessarily true Ukyou. There’s something about me that you need to know. If you could get me that glass of hot water I’ll show you.” Ranma couldn’t keep her head up; she kept her gaze locked to the floor. “I’ll go get if for you, sugar.” Ukyou left the room, pondering what Ranma would need with a glass of hot water. Kasumi gave Ranma another hug before leading her to a chair and helping her to sit. Kasumi then pulled a chair alongside and sat, taking one of Ranma’s hands in her own. “You’re very brave Ranma. You’re not holding anything back, trying to get straight to the point. Just stay calm through the rest of this and hopefully Ukyou won’t be too upset.” “There is no hope for that Kasumi. She’ll hate me. How can’t she? I’ve ruined her life. Why would she let a murderer like me get away with what I did?” For the second time that day Ranma broke down, and just as before Kasumi was there to take Ranma into her arms. Ukyou returned with the water, but said nothing. Instead she chose to sit upon one of the many cardboard boxes littering the room. There were only four chairs in the room; Akane and Nabiki were filling the other two. Akane was closest to Ukyou so it wasn’t hard for her to hear Akane’s muttering. “This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have… Oh God, I’m so sorry.” Akane was crying now, burying her face in her hands. Nabiki got out of her chair and moved to sit next to Ukyou. “The explanation may have to wait for tomorrow. Ranma is in no condition to explain it, and it is her story to tell.” “I understand, but why did she call herself a murderer?” “She has killed, in battle. She let that fact slip in front of the whole school and it wasn’t well received. Akane’s reaction hurt Ranma the most, and she feels terrible about it. I assume you’ve closed for the night?” “Yes. We should probably be going. I’ll carry Ranma and Kasumi’s things. Kasumi?” Ukyou called. Kasumi looked up. “It’s time to go. You take Ranma downstairs; we’ll get your things.” Everyone was standing outside, waiting for Ukyou to lock everything up. Ranma was still crying in Kasumi’s embrace. She was shivering wearing only her skimpy waitress uniform in the cool night air. Ukyou exited the shop with a jacket in hand. She held it open and Kasumi helped Ranma thread her arms through the sleeves. She buttoned up the front before drawing Ranma back against her. She held Ranma as she had earlier, leading her behind Ukyou. Nabiki was watching Ukyou move. She saw that Ukyou was moving as if a great weight was pressing down on her. Nabiki could only imagine what was in Ranma’s pack and how the slight girl could carry it with such ease. “Need any help Ukyou?” Nabiki asked, hoping she didn’t. “No that’s all right. I’ve got it. I’ll be able to handle it for the next 200 meters. My apartment is just up ahead. I’m glad I live on the ground floor.” “Afraid you won’t be able to make it up the stairs?” Nabiki joked. “No, I’m afraid the stairs won’t hold the weight.” Ukyou wasn’t kidding, much. “Ranma’s sleeping,” Kasumi explained. “Thank you for allowing her your bed Ukyou.” Ukyou waved off Kasumi's thanks. “Don’t mention it. She needed it more than I did. Nabiki told me some of her story, in the morning I’d like to find out the rest. I would like to know why you left your home; I trust it has something to do with Ranma?” Kasumi nodded. “It does. I was afraid for her. Considering her state of mind it wasn’t safe to have her father around. When I told father this he disagreed. It came down to me giving him the ultimatum of his friend or us. As you can see we weren’t his first choice. I couldn’t stay in that house with a father that thought more of his friendship than his own family. Frankly I was disappointed in myself.” “Why would you be disappointed in yourself?” From what Kasumi had said about her father Ukyou was confused. She had to know. “I was disappointed that I hadn’t left sooner. All I’ve ever done was for him and my family. When mom died he left his family behind, I shouldn’t have supported him so much. I became a slave for him, always at his beckon call. With me there he didn’t have to stand on his own two legs.” She looked to floor, sadly. “If I hadn’t always been there for him, he might of come back to us.” Kasumi continued. “As it was, we lost him. Now that he realizes it, maybe he will change. If he doesn’t… He’ll have lost us forever.” “I feel the same way,” Ukyou began, “sometimes… about my father. When my fiancé left me he practically turned his back on me. He had my birth records altered to say that I was a boy. He then kicked me out of my home, telling me never to return unless I had his hand or his head. I was six years old when I was sent out on a murder mission, sanctioned by my own father. My life has been such hell since then. With all my documents stating I was a boy I’ve missed out on so much. The things females could enjoy were forbidden to me. “I hate my father, but life would be so much harder without my name. I’d be living on the streets with nothing to call my own. There is little hope for a ronin, even in this day and age. There is no love between my father and me; my revenge is for me and me alone. I want to live my life again” “We’ll clear all of that up in the morning. We should all get some sleep.” Kasumi suggested. “We could have a long day ahead of us.” “What do you mean by that, Kasumi?” There was something about Kasumi's last statement that had Ukyou concerned. “A lot of information will come to light. You may not want Ranma here after that. If Ranma must leave, then so must we. I’ve grown attached to her, as I’m sure she has grown attached to me. I can’t leave her. Not with her mental state the way it is. It is clear to me that these emotions she’s showing have been locked away for a long time. I have to help her through, if only to see her happy. You also might not want us here, for the secret we all share. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go check on her.” “You do that. I’ll expect you all to be up early tomorrow. I need answers, and I don’t want to have to wait for them. I’ll give you tonight to sleep. If I don’t have the answers I seek tomorrow than none of you will rest until I do.” Ukyou threatened. She didn’t like what she was hearing. She was feeling insulted, making her more than a little cross. Kasumi frowned, she hade no fondness for Ukyou’s attitude. “If you’re this angry already, I fear what tomorrow will bring. I’ll sleep in the room with Ranma, in case she has nightmares again. I’m sorry if I seem rude Ukyou. I’m afraid by showing a little of my true self that the rest is starting to flow out of me. Like Ranma I’ve bottled up emotions I have yet to deal with. Perhaps we’ll both be a little more pleasant come morning. Goodnight Ukyou.”

Chapter Four

Working Girl

Nabiki had to know where they were going. She didn’t like the feeling of walking aimlessly. “Kasumi? Where are we headed?”

“My friend owns a restaurant not too far from here. We’ll wait there until she gets off work. Then we’ll follow her to her apartment nearby.”

“So we’ll just sit at a table and interrupt her business?” Nabiki thought it odd the proprietor would allow such an act.

“There is a small living space above the restaurant. She doesn’t use it except for storage.” Kasumi explained. “We should quicken our pace. We’ll want to be there before the rush.”

“I can help if she needs it.” Ranma interjected. “I have experience.” She quickly added.

“We’ll have to see when we get there. It isn’t much further now. We should be able to see it when we round the corner.”

They arrived to find a moderate sized crowd seated inside the Restaurant. Only Nabiki took notice of the name but didn’t think to mention it. They entered to the sound of a tinkling bell and the dull roar of the conversations.

They were greeted by a cheerful male voice. “Welcome to the… Kasumi? I didn’t expect you so early. Did you even have dinner?”

“We ate early. We didn’t want to spend another minute longer at that house than we had to. These are my sisters, Nabiki and Akane.” She motioned to each as she said their names. “And this is Ranma, the friend I mentioned.”

“I used to know someone named Ranma. He was still just I child when I last saw him, then again I was too.”

“I didn’t catch your name.” Nabiki interrupted.

“You should have, it’s on the sign.” She said pointing to the front of the restaurant.

“What’s your real name then, Ucchan?” Nabiki was being rude, but she wanted to know who she’d be staying with.

“Kuonji Ukyou. I…”

“Ucchan?” Ranma muttered. “I thought you looked familiar.” Ranma added, a little louder, cutting her off.

“I’m sorry, have we met?” Ukyou looked curiously at the redhead

Ranma silently cursed. Of course Ukyou wouldn’t recognize him like he was now. “If I could get a cup of hot water I can explain, but that can wait. I feel the explanation needs to be a little bit more private. If you want I can help until we leave.” She offered.

“I could use a waitress, do you have experience?”

“I worked for a little bit at a restaurant in China, grandmother wanted me to have some experience before we moved. I’ll be working at her restaurant once it gets finished.” She supplied, needlessly.

“You expect pay? Or will you be working for tips.”

“I don’t need any money. It’s just that I don’t want to be a burden on you. I thought if I could help then it wouldn’t be like that.” Ranma looked down sadly. “I don’t want to be like my father.”

“Tips it is then.” Ukyou stated.

“But I…”

Ukyou quickly cut the girl off. “I heard what you said. The help that you can offer will be more than enough. You’ll take the tips or I’ll give them to Kasumi with orders to spend the money on you.”

“Okay, I’ll take the tips. Not that I have any choice.”

“That’s right you don’t, there’s a waitress uniform in the back that you…”

“If I’m taking tips I’m going to be doing it right. I’ve got a waitress outfit in my pack; it should draw far more money than I’ll know what to do with.”

Minutes later Ranma was staring sadly at the waitress uniform Ukyou had on hand. She wouldn’t have had to wear the proper underwear with the pants that were a part of that uniform. As it was, she felt nearly naked in the tiny Chinese dress she was currently wearing. The slightest wrong movement and it wouldn’t be too hard for anyone to see her panties. It was the possibility of seeing her underwear that drew the customers, mostly male. Ranma knew how to move though, and that possibility would seem dim indeed by the end of the night.

“Just wait until Grandmother’s restaurant opens,” Ranma thought to herself. “No man will be coming here unless they are with their wives, not when they get their first glimpse of mom.” She laughed, drawing the Tendou’s attention.

“Something funny, Ranma?” Nabiki raised an eyebrow at Ranma’s uniform. “Or are you just giggling in glee over your beautiful body?”

“When you meet my mother, think about this moment. Hopefully you’ll understand. Now if you’ll excuse me. I have work to do.” Ranma left then, leaving the Tendou sisters alone.

“How can you two be so composed around him? Acting like he’s a real girl, pretending to be his friend. You’d better be careful. If he finds out you’ve been lying to him you’ll probably be his next victims.”

“There is no act Akane. She is a normal girl and yes we are her friends. She will not kill us. She is not a murderer Akane. She kills only when she has to. You heard her yourself, she regrets having to kill.”

“So he says. But I bet its all part of his elaborate…”

It was Kasumi who slapped her sister this time. “She is not like that! You have no idea the harm you caused her when you acted the way you did. If I hadn’t been there, the next life she took would have been her own. She was that upset. Do you want her death on your conscience? Or would you not understand it, like you didn’t understand when mother passed away?” Kasumi hoped she hadn’t gone too far.

“Why are you defending him? You don’t even know him.” Akane was trying to find anything she could use against Ranma. She had to know their reasoning before she could fight against it.

Nabiki couldn’t hold back any longer. She lashed out, not with fists, but her words. “It seems I know her better than my own sister. You know better than to pass judgment without getting to know someone first. You used to be ostracized at school until the students got to know you, how can you do the same to another?”

“Akane you have to understand,” Kasumi was saying. “Ranma is a very troubled person. The first night here she woke me up with her crying. She was hurting in ways we couldn’t imagine. She has survived some horrible things. Her nightmare… I can only imagine the pain she suffered. She has killed, there is no denying that fact, but it doesn’t make her a murderer.” Suddenly something clicked in Kasumi’s mind.

“This isn’t what this is about, is it? You’re not upset that Ranma has killed. You’re upset because Ranma is a boy. If Ranma were a real girl we wouldn’t be having this conversation, would we? This whole time we’ve been referring to Ranma as a girl, while you’ve been thinking of him as a boy. That is the root of this problem. Ranma is a boy and therefore evil. Akane, it is far past time for you to grow up and get over the boys are icky mindset.”

Nabiki jumped in. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it myself. Kasumi hit it right on the head. Because Ranma is a boy, a boy who easily defeated you, and has killed, you’re terrified of him. You never once in your mind connected him with other boys until you learned he had killed; now you think that he is a pervert like all the rest. Get over yourself Akane. Not all boys are like that, and Ranma wouldn’t be like that. He has a girl’s body; he could just as easily be victimized himself.”

“I never thought about it that way.”

“She admits it.” Nabiki pointed out. “Now we’ve come to the heart of the matter. Look past your preconceived notions about boys and see what we see. We see a kind soul, just looking for acceptance. Even though she has killed she still conveys a feeling of innocence. Ranma’s scared and until now, alone. Ranma needs people like us to be his, or her, friends.”

Akane began to cry. “What have I done?”

Neither Nabiki nor Kasumi could answer that. They had ideas about what she had done, but they had no idea just how deeply Akane’s actions had affected Ranma. The hugged their little sister, giving her all the love they had to give.

The mood was much lighter downstairs. Ukyou and Ranma had worked themselves into a steady rhythm. It hadn’t taken long for Ukyou to start tossing her delicate dishes across the restaurant to a waiting Ranma. It seemed that no matter how wild the throw Ranma was always there.

The added bonus was that the extra movement was increasing the chance for a free show, in the minds of the spectators at least. Ranma was ecstatic about some of the tips she had already received. They were well in excess of the wages she received while in the PRC.

The rush had come and gone, there were only a few late night stragglers remaining. Ranma had pocketed 75000 Yen, or roughly 665 American dollars. With Ranma’s help, Ukyou was able to serve 300 okonomiyaki in half a day. Ukyou normally could only sell that many in a full 12-hour day.

“You did good, sugar. With you around I would only have to be open half as long. Of course I wouldn’t do that, wouldn’t want to disappoint my customers. You’re welcome to work here anytime.”

“We’ll see if you still think the same way after tonight. I don’t think you’re going to like what I have to say.” Ranma sadly stated.

“As you said, sugar, we’ll see. You go on upstairs; I’ll take care of cleanup.” Ukyou smiled as she directed the girl toward the back room.

Kasumi stood when Ranma entered. She took in the forlorn expression on Ranma’s face and quickly went to her side. She gave the girl a reassuring hug. “What’s wrong Ranma?”

“I have a bad feeling about tonight. Ukyou is… was an old friend.” Ranma moved into Kasumi’s hug, trying to get as much reassurance as she could.

“You were the boy she mentioned.” Kasumi whispered

“Yes I… wait a minute, she?” Ranma stepped back, looking Kasumi in the eyes.

“Oh, didn’t you know, Ukyou is a girl. She’s been living as a boy for most of her life. Apparently she'd been engaged, but her groom left her behind. She’s been living as a boy, trying to seek out the groom and his family to get revenge. She wouldn’t go into too many specifics. She’s been here almost a year now, after having received a tip that her groom would be coming to Nerima.”

“Damnit! This is not happening; tell me this is not happening.” Ranma was livid; she knew what it was about.

“What is it Ranma?” Kasumi calmly questioned.

“When we were in the Amazon village there were a few girls that showed up, said they were my fiancée’s. Pops left behind him a trail of engagements. I can only assume that Ukyou was one of them. I’m the groom she’s seeking.” Ranma growled angrily.

“Sorry sugar, but you don’t look much like a groom to me. Last I knew same sex marriages were illegal in Japan. Are you really Ranma, the one I used to know?” Ukyou asked sadly. She continued when Ranma nodded. “This is just great! All this time and I couldn’t have gotten married anyway. I’ve wasted so much of my life for nothing.”

“That isn’t necessarily true Ukyou. There’s something about me that you need to know. If you could get me that glass of hot water I’ll show you.” Ranma couldn’t keep her head up; she kept her gaze locked to the floor.

“I’ll go get if for you, sugar.” Ukyou left the room, pondering what Ranma would need with a glass of hot water.

Kasumi gave Ranma another hug before leading her to a chair and helping her to sit. Kasumi then pulled a chair alongside and sat, taking one of Ranma’s hands in her own. “You’re very brave Ranma. You’re not holding anything back, trying to get straight to the point. Just stay calm through the rest of this and hopefully Ukyou won’t be too upset.”

“There is no hope for that Kasumi. She’ll hate me. How can’t she? I’ve ruined her life. Why would she let a murderer like me get away with what I did?” For the second time that day Ranma broke down, and just as before Kasumi was there to take Ranma into her arms.

Ukyou returned with the water, but said nothing. Instead she chose to sit upon one of the many cardboard boxes littering the room. There were only four chairs in the room; Akane and Nabiki were filling the other two.

Akane was closest to Ukyou so it wasn’t hard for her to hear Akane’s muttering.

“This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have… Oh God, I’m so sorry.” Akane was crying now, burying her face in her hands.

Nabiki got out of her chair and moved to sit next to Ukyou. “The explanation may have to wait for tomorrow. Ranma is in no condition to explain it, and it is her story to tell.”

“I understand, but why did she call herself a murderer?”

“She has killed, in battle. She let that fact slip in front of the whole school and it wasn’t well received. Akane’s reaction hurt Ranma the most, and she feels terrible about it. I assume you’ve closed for the night?”

“Yes. We should probably be going. I’ll carry Ranma and Kasumi’s things. Kasumi?” Ukyou called. Kasumi looked up. “It’s time to go. You take Ranma downstairs; we’ll get your things.”

Everyone was standing outside, waiting for Ukyou to lock everything up. Ranma was still crying in Kasumi’s embrace. She was shivering wearing only her skimpy waitress uniform in the cool night air.

Ukyou exited the shop with a jacket in hand. She held it open and Kasumi helped Ranma thread her arms through the sleeves. She buttoned up the front before drawing Ranma back against her. She held Ranma as she had earlier, leading her behind Ukyou.

Nabiki was watching Ukyou move. She saw that Ukyou was moving as if a great weight was pressing down on her. Nabiki could only imagine what was in Ranma’s pack and how the slight girl could carry it with such ease.

“Need any help Ukyou?” Nabiki asked, hoping she didn’t.

“No that’s all right. I’ve got it. I’ll be able to handle it for the next 200 meters. My apartment is just up ahead. I’m glad I live on the ground floor.”

“Afraid you won’t be able to make it up the stairs?” Nabiki joked.

“No, I’m afraid the stairs won’t hold the weight.” Ukyou wasn’t kidding, much.

“Ranma’s sleeping,” Kasumi explained. “Thank you for allowing her your bed Ukyou.”

Ukyou waved off Kasumi's thanks. “Don’t mention it. She needed it more than I did. Nabiki told me some of her story, in the morning I’d like to find out the rest. I would like to know why you left your home; I trust it has something to do with Ranma?”

Kasumi nodded. “It does. I was afraid for her. Considering her state of mind it wasn’t safe to have her father around. When I told father this he disagreed. It came down to me giving him the ultimatum of his friend or us. As you can see we weren’t his first choice. I couldn’t stay in that house with a father that thought more of his friendship than his own family. Frankly I was disappointed in myself.”

“Why would you be disappointed in yourself?” From what Kasumi had said about her father Ukyou was confused. She had to know.

“I was disappointed that I hadn’t left sooner. All I’ve ever done was for him and my family. When mom died he left his family behind, I shouldn’t have supported him so much. I became a slave for him, always at his beckon call. With me there he didn’t have to stand on his own two legs.” She looked to floor, sadly.

“If I hadn’t always been there for him, he might of come back to us.” Kasumi continued. “As it was, we lost him. Now that he realizes it, maybe he will change. If he doesn’t… He’ll have lost us forever.”

“I feel the same way,” Ukyou began, “sometimes… about my father. When my fiancé left me he practically turned his back on me. He had my birth records altered to say that I was a boy. He then kicked me out of my home, telling me never to return unless I had his hand or his head. I was six years old when I was sent out on a murder mission, sanctioned by my own father. My life has been such hell since then. With all my documents stating I was a boy I’ve missed out on so much. The things females could enjoy were forbidden to me.

“I hate my father, but life would be so much harder without my name. I’d be living on the streets with nothing to call my own. There is little hope for a ronin, even in this day and age. There is no love between my father and me; my revenge is for me and me alone. I want to live my life again”

“We’ll clear all of that up in the morning. We should all get some sleep.” Kasumi suggested. “We could have a long day ahead of us.”

“What do you mean by that, Kasumi?” There was something about Kasumi's last statement that had Ukyou concerned.

“A lot of information will come to light. You may not want Ranma here after that. If Ranma must leave, then so must we. I’ve grown attached to her, as I’m sure she has grown attached to me. I can’t leave her. Not with her mental state the way it is. It is clear to me that these emotions she’s showing have been locked away for a long time. I have to help her through, if only to see her happy. You also might not want us here, for the secret we all share. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go check on her.”

“You do that. I’ll expect you all to be up early tomorrow. I need answers, and I don’t want to have to wait for them. I’ll give you tonight to sleep. If I don’t have the answers I seek tomorrow than none of you will rest until I do.” Ukyou threatened. She didn’t like what she was hearing. She was feeling insulted, making her more than a little cross.

Kasumi frowned, she hade no fondness for Ukyou’s attitude. “If you’re this angry already, I fear what tomorrow will bring. I’ll sleep in the room with Ranma, in case she has nightmares again. I’m sorry if I seem rude Ukyou. I’m afraid by showing a little of my true self that the rest is starting to flow out of me. Like Ranma I’ve bottled up emotions I have yet to deal with. Perhaps we’ll both be a little more pleasant come morning. Goodnight Ukyou.”