(Music Begins)

(Opening Credits begin)

"Jump In (Ranma's Theme)"

Opening Theme for

An Ending To All Our Days

I looked into your eyes,

That first time we met,

I was wondering what you thought,

You were wondering too, I bet.

I never thought I could love you,

You never thought you'd love me,

We're finally together-

Jump on in,

Say that I'm the only one,

Jump on in - to my love.

Jump on in,

Our lives have just begun,

Jump on in - to our love.

We see the world through together eyes,

Together we face what comes ahead,

I'll never forget what you shared,

And I'll never forget what you said.

The way you smile lights my heart,

You speak my name and it's the world,

You make me so happy-

Jump on in,

Tell me I'm the only one,

Jump on in - to my love.

Jump on in,

Our lives have just begun,

Jump on in - to our love.

(Guitar solo)

The way you smile lights my heart,

You speak my name and it's the world,

You make me so happy-

Jump on in,

Say that I'm the only one,

Jump on in - to my love

Jump on in,

Our lives have just begun,

Jump on in - to our love.

(Repeat Chorus)

(Fade)

(Title Comes Up)

An Ending To All Our Days

by

Joshua Trujillo

Part 2: Luck Be A Lady

`The tea was good,' Thought Kasumi, `It just seemed odd to me that someone like Happosai knew anything about house duties'

"More tea Kasumi dear?" He asked.

"No thank you" She said, smiling at him.

"There's something you don't see everyday" A voice said from the doorway.

It was Genma. He adjusted his glasses and entered the room. Soun followed right behind and went to Kasumi.

"Are you all right Kasumi? How is your arm? Is there anything that I could do?" Soun said rapidly.

Kasumi tilted her head and smiled. She shifted her left arm in the sling and resettled the cast onto her lap.

"No Father, I'm fine. Happosai has taken care of everything" She said.

"Well he should. He was the one who caused your arm to be broken in the first place" Soun said, turning to the diminutive master.

"I said I was sorry. What more do ya' want? Ungrateful..." Happosai said, leaning against the edge of the table.

Soun snorted in derision. He had respect for the old goblin, but he'd gone too far this time, even for Happosai. They were still rebuilding part of the hall and much of the kitchen. Ranma was to blame too, but he saved Kasumi from more serious injury and he saved both Kasumi and Akane from possible death, so for his part in the whole affair Soun could overlook. Ranma was the one to start in at Happosai, who in turn got mad, but the fight raged into the kitchen, which Happosai promptly destroyed to get at Ranma.

Happosai slowly walked to the open doorway and looked across the courtyard. Suddenly, Soun thought that the little man who had been his master for nearly twenty years, looked all those years and more. Kind of like a perverted Yoda.

"I'm-sorry Kasumi."

Soun heard Genma inhale sharply. Sorry was just something that the Master did NOT say. For all his panty raids, for all the mass destruction he caused, for the times Akane was kidnapped for what he did, he had never said that he was sorry.

Kasumi smiled a different smile now.

"That's all right. Father, Nabiki should be home from shopping anytime now. I gave her a list of ingredients, so she should do just fine" Kasumi said, sounding much like her Mother.

At least, that's what Soun thought.

***

`I don't have any idea what constitutes ripeness,' Nabiki thought.

The green peppers looked okay. But she really had no idea about how to pick one out. Was size important? Her boyfriends kept telling her size didn't matter. She knew better. At least in one respect men and peppers were different. She picked one up. It had a nice heft to it. Good color. Smelled funny though.

Nabiki looked over some of the others, they didn't look any better. This was the last thing on the list and Nabiki was at least going to get this without any help.

"Here" A voice said to her right.

Nabiki looked toward the stranger. He was a tall man with piercing blue eyes. He looked very like someone Nabiki knew, but she couldn't place the face. He was holding a basket of his own. A pepper was in his outstretched hand. She looked from the pepper to the man. It would be rude of her to just stand there. Nabiki reached out cautiously and took the pepper. It was lighter than the rest and had almost no smell.

"Thank you," She said quietly.

He smiled. His smile...wow. How devastating can you get? Even Mikado would lose to this guy. Nabiki's heart skipped a beat.

`Why the Hell do I feel this way to a man I've never even met before?' She asked her self.

"I'm sorry. I'm not normally this outgoing, but you looked a little lost and I just hate seeing a woman choose poor produce. Your boyfriend making you cook for him?" He asked laughing.

Nabiki blushed. This guy really was forward. He was kind of cute though, and dressed nicely, so he seemed well enough off. This might just turn profitable. Why the Hell not? But they did expect her back to dinner...

"No I don't have a boyfriend. My sister, she's injured and I-I'm not used to cooking" She said.

"Well...In that case, I would consider it an honor if you would allow me to cook for yourself and your family."

He touched his hand to his forehead and rolled his eyes.

"My time in America must have dulled my manners. My name is Sukido Kuno. And I am very happy I came back to Japan" He said, bowing quite low.

KUNO?

She thought it was probably best to drop it for now. If he was a Kuno, that meant money. But why had he been in America? As far as Nabiki knew, her brokers in America knew of no Kuno fortune, she blushed more when she realized she WAS keeping up on Kuno's activities. Well, what could one expect, Tatewaki being rich AND cute...

`With Kasumi down and since Ukyou and Shampoo won't cook without Ranma being there, this might be a blessing in disguise,' She thought, `I just hope he's not like the rest of them.'

"Sure, why not. My name is Nabiki Tendo. Pleased to meet you" Nabiki said, extending her hand.

He looked at her and smiled that devastating smile again, shaking her hand.

`Okay...So he's REAL cute...'

***

Akane swung her arm up in an inside arc, then back down. It felt good to her to be able to control her body in this fashion. Too often in this modern era of bras and protection and other technological amenities designed to better protect women from the world, Akane felt too constrained. Being able to concentrate on her kata was one of the few things she had always been good at. That was, at least until Ranma had entered in her life.

Akane couldn't blame him for being good. They both trained for years before they met. Ranma was just better, it couldn't be put any other way, he just was.

He was also stupid. He was also insensitive and he was also a jerk! Every time he gets a chance, he tries to chase off P-chan. He didn't do anything to Ranma. P-chan only tried to bite Ranma because Ranma was being a jerk. P-chan was very in tune with Akane's feelings. She knew. This time, she had caught Ranma beating up on poor P-chan. P-chan ran off, like usual, so Akane sent Ranma after him. Of course he didn't want to go, said something about months and weeks. Akane didn't pay any attention to his mumblings. It was at least good to see that he respected her feelings and was trying to make things right, even if he never got it right.

That was two days ago, though. He should have been back by now. Akane was starting to wonder. Before Ranma chased off P-chan, he had begun teaching her the special moves of the Anything Goes School that he's added over the years. They required huge amounts of energy on her part. It amazed her to think where Ranma got it all to perform them so effortlessly. She always

had to remind herself that he had been using these techniques for far longer than she.

The first was the Katutsenshin Amaguriken. And she had that down. She even put Ranma on his butt with it before sending him after P-chan. She was delighted she could get the better of him with his own technique. She calmed more when she realized that he let her win. He could certainly counter his own move.

The second was the Mouko Takabaisha. A high level chi-blast. A little more training and she would have it down as well, though it left her drained after only one blast. Ranma fired off blast after blast and still had enough left to spar with her. Akane shook her head. It was only a matter of time and practice.

The final move was the Hiryu Shotsen Ha. She still couldn't do this one. It required more chi than she felt she could ever produce at one time. Ranma said that it was more than possible for her to use it, but the ways of calling the chi forth was a little different, so that's what she'd have to get used to.

Akane finished her workout and picked up her towel. That's strange, it's dinner, but there's no smell of food in the house. That's right, Nabiki's cooking.

Or rather, Nabiki HAS to cook. Akane smiled at this. It was rare that her sister had to cook. Akane was anxious to see what Nabiki had planned as Kasumi didn't give her enough money to order take out for the whole family.

`Still, I think I'll go check out Kasumi and see how she's doing and get a bath,' Akane thought.

Akane walked from the dojo to the upper bedrooms, the ones most often frequented by the Tendo's and the Saotome's. Passing by her own room, she stops just long enough to straighten the wooden duck sign hanging on her door. She liked that duck, sometimes it was the only clue to being who she was. After all these years of kidnappers and rescues by Ranma and so many other things that had gotten in the way of her happiness, she wondered briefly what it would have been like to live a normal life. Akane shook her head, trying not to confuse herself any more. Any chance of a normal life passed years ago with her father and Ranma's father. She passed by Nabiki's room, she was out "shopping for dinner". Akane had to keep herself from giggling. It was going to be interesting. At the end of the hall, she stopped at Kasumi's door, the light was on from within. Kasumi often read in her room, probably finding solace from the endless housework and from the endless repairs that often followed anything to do with Ranma.

Akane knocked.

"Come in Akane," Kasumi said.

"How'd...? Nevermind. How are you doing Kasumi?" Akane asked, not wanting to press the earlier thought.

"I'm fine. Father and Mr.Saotome are out trying to find Happosai, to give him a note I wrote. If he's going to fight in the house, no daikarin."

"Do you think it'll work?" Akane asked.

"No, but maybe it'll be peaceful for a while," Kasumi said.

Akane smiled at this. It was good to see Kasumi back up and running around again. Especially after something like this.

"Okay, I'll get a bath, then I'll help set up for dinner," Akane said.

"Take your time. Tofu-chan is coming over again tonight"

`Since when have you begun to call him Tofu-chan?' Akane thought.

"Is Tofu-san going to cook again?" Akane asked.

"No. Nabiki needs to learn just as much as you do," Kasumi said, motherly.

Akane blushed.

"Don't worry, all you need is love and practice. Try making some smaller things for yourself," She explained.

Akane smiled again.

"Okay, I'm going to get a bath now," Akane said.

Akane went down the hall to the room on the right. It's a good thing that this bath was on the other end of the house from the kitchen, otherwise, it might have been unusable. The buckets of cold water hit her like bricks. The wave of relief that entered her when she stepped into the tub was almost...well, it was very good. She settled in and thought a moment. It was odd how many things happened to her around her bathing. Seeing Ranma as a guy for the first time, that stupid thing with the cursed doll, finding out about Shinnosuke, many things.

`There's someone I haven't thought about in a while,' She thought.

Shinnosuke. He was probably Akane's first true love, but Ranma was better because he loved her back and didn't forget. Akane also didn't know if she could handle all those huge animals all the time. She giggled slightly.

She leaned back and started reflecting on her family. Father, Uncle Genma, Nabiki, and Kasumi. Poor Kasumi. So oblivious to everything. This time, she seemed to get the worst end of it however. Ranma got off easy with only a couple of cracked ribs.

***

The fight started because she and Nabiki were trying to get Ranma used to women's clothing. He had decided on his own that he should at least be comfortable with his female form. Even if he didn't like it. I was excited about the prospect, perhaps this meant that he was going to take a little more responsibility for his condition and maybe even give their relationship a chance.

Nabiki helped in buying a couple of outfits that would look good on Ranma. Akane was quite surprised that Nabiki felt Ranma needed to dressbetter as well. Male or female, she said she was getting sick of all those Chinese outfits.

The outfits were mostly greens and blues, to match Ranma's girl and boy type. It's hard to buy for two people, especially when they're wrapped in to one. Ranma had agreed that he needed some new clothes, but balked at the more feminine. Akane had dissuaded him from complaining with a mallet to the side of his head. They dragged him to Akane's bedroom and woke him up, telling him to start trying things on. Ranma reluctantly agreed and began on a pair of panties. He insisted that he do this by himself and blushed and got very angry when Nabiki called him a pervert. Akane understood. It was a real private thing to do. Even if he was a pervert, it was still private. Akane just knew something like this was going to happen though. Around the Tendo dojo, it usually does. After Ranma was in Akane's bedroom for about a minute, they heard some screaming and much

destructive carnage coming from within.

Opening the door, Happosai came bounding out screaming something about his wildest fantasies. He tried to glomp onto Akane, but she punted him off and down the stairs. Ranma came flying out of the bedroom, her clothes hastily put back on, yelling after Happosai. Ranma was also swinging one of Akane's mallets, though Akane never did ask where she got it from. Tossing it at the little munchkin, Happosai slipped and it nearly clobbered him. He came up holding the back of his head and mumbling. We could see that Ranma had grazed him with the mallet. He'd actually cut him, something that he'd never done before as far as Akane knew.

Happosai was REAL mad now.

"Ranma - I'll take those panties off of you if it's the last thing I do," Happosai growled.

It was the first time in a long time that Akane had ever seen him so angry at anyone. Ranma and Happosai began to fight. Each would throw and block, then kick and block. She and Nabiki had to stay well clear because it was almost like being in a war zone. Ranma had a hold of him at one point, but Happosai slipped away and bounded downstairs. Akane shouted ahead of him to clear anyone that was in their path. She knew that they wouldn't think about bystanders in this fight. They were fighting towards the back of the house, towards the dojo. Towards the kitchen.

Happosai burst into the kitchen and begin to hurl knives around. Ranma was all right, but Kasumi had to hide under the table in order to keep from being hit. Akane heard Happosai yell something and three roundish objects came out from the front of his gi.

Ranma had only seconds to act. He picked up Kasumi and shoved her out the back door of the kitchen. Happosai laughed and bounded out of the open kitchen window. Then Ranma threw himself at Akane just as the Happodaikarin went off.

***

This shook Akane out of her thoughts. Ranma saved her. He actually saved her. And he most likely saved Kasumi as well. Akane thought about it for a time. This time, she couldn't just call Ranma a baka and blame the whole thing on him. Ranma had done something selfless and good. Akane snorted at this. Ranma? Selfless?

Yet there it was. He saved the two of them and received two cracked ribs and a massive bruise in the process. Akane smiled. He'd done it for her.

To protect her.

Dr.Tofu really laid into Happosai when they finally caught him. She'd never seen Dr.Tofu that angry at anyone for anything. He'd always been so calm and "with it", but when he'd seen Kasumi laying there with a splint on her arm and pale from the blood loss, he lost it. He tended to Kasumi, but then he ripped into Happosai and Ranma for fighting with such dangerous styles in the house. He thanked Ranma for saving Kasumi, but asked Ranma not to fight in the house anymore. Ranma agreed but was frightened over Tofu's mood swing. As for Happosai, Dr.Tofu said it was lucky Akane found him first.

That night, Dr.Tofu stayed with Kasumi to make sure she was all right. Soun didn't mind that he stayed, he knew that Tofu loved Kasumi and thought that maybe, if Ranma and Akane were so adamant against marriage, then Tofu and Kasumi might alleviate that problem. Akane had spoken with him that night, as he fixed everyone dinner in the part of the kitchen that wasn't destroyed. He told Akane that that night would be the night. And that's all he said. It confused Akane. The night for what?

Not sex of course, at least, Akane hoped not. They weren't even married.

But they did have goofy grins on for the next couple of days though. Akane wondered. Well, Kasumi would tell her whether or not something momentous like that had happened. Wouldn't she?

Akane heard Kasumi answer the door downstairs. Probably Dr.Tofu or Nabiki back from her grocery outing.

Time to get dressed.

***

Kasumi opened the door. Outside stood Dr.Tofu (whose glasses promptly fogged over), Nabiki (with a stupid grin on her face) and a strange young man who looked kind of familiar.

"Oh my, won't you all come in," Kasumi said, taking the basket in her left arm from Nabiki, "Who is your friend Nabiki?"

That snapped her out of her revelry.

"Oh sis, I'd like to introduce you to...Kuno. Sukido Kuno," she said with a flourish.

"A Kuno?" Kasumi asked.

The young man did look like a cross between Kodachi and her brother, Tatewaki. Rather dashing in his own way. He looked down and blushed slightly.

"Being something of the black sheep in the family, I don't get mentioned much," He said.

"Come in, won't you? Make yourself at home," Kasumi said to him with the usual smile and head tilt.

He nodded.

"He's fixing us dinner tonight. Isn't he just wonderful?" Nabiki said, taking the basket back from Kasumi and handing it to Sukido.

"I couldn't possibly let-"

"You Tendo women don't have a very large conversational base. Nabiki said the exact same thing. And I told her, as I'll tell you, that it's both a privilege and an honor to cook for you. Especially since you're injured," He explained, smiling warmly at both Nabiki and Kasumi.

Sukido and Nabiki followed Tofu into the kitchen, while Kasumi stood at the

doorway. She looked at her cast and sighed. She couldn't help it.

Kasumi blushed. She knew she would stand in the doorway until the blush died down, lest her Tofu-chan saw it.

`Again I thought of him as Tofu-chan? Oh my' She thought.

***

Genma put his chopsticks down and sighed contentedly. It seemed the mood around the table that the consensus was mutual. That was one fine dinner. And anytime you can satisfy Genma, then you've fixed a meal suited for...a very large man who is an occasional panda.

"That was delicious Kuno-san!" Soun said through tears of joy.

"Sukido, please. And it was nothing."

"I thought you said you were the black sheep of the family?" Nabiki said, to his left.

"Seeing his brother and sister, I guess that means he's normal," Akane said across from him.

"Quite true Akane."

They both laughed at this. Nabiki frowned. He looked an awful lot like Ranma when he's being so nice to others. In fact, he'd been WAY too friendly with both Akane and Kasumi. She looked crossedly at her food.

`Maybe I'm just getting paranoid,' She thought.

She turned to him and he caught her glance. Had he been staring at her. He smiled that catlike devastating smile. Nabiki felt the blood rush to her face as she looked back down into her food. Oh, but what a smile...

Sukido helped Kasumi clear away the dishes and Tofu began to wash them for her. Kasumi sighed and looked disappointed by this. Tofu reminded her that with the cast, she can't wash the dishes too effectively, and besides, with him here, she needn't worry. Kasumi sighed again and walked back in to the livingroom. Genma and Soun were placed on special assignment by Tofu and Kasumi to find Happosai, who had disappeared again. Akane went to help Tofu with the dishes and Kasumi joined them, talking about Akane and her cooking. At least Kasumi is delicate about it. Nabiki walked Sukido out to say goodnight. Nabiki didn't usually feel this warm without sake. She supposed that she was pissed. She was right.

"Well Nabiki Tendo, was that dinner to your satisfaction?" Sukido asked.

She nodded.

"Oh...Well, okay. I noticed you looked-well, angry towards the end of the meal. Did I do something wrong?"

A silence. Nabiki turned and started to sob slightly.

"You men are all alike. I was stupid to like you. I should go back to money. It's the only thing that doesn't go away without my permission."

"What are you talking about?" Sukido asked, completely befuddled.

He put his hands on her shoulders. Nabiki whirled and tried to slap him. She did little more than lose her balance and end up on her butt in front of him. She looked up at him and furrowed her eyebrows. He just looked at her, then he extended his hand to her. She looked at his hand, then slowly accepted it, getting up.

"Flirting with my sisters that's what I'm talking about!" She said.

Sukido looked stunned. He then started to laugh. Nabiki felt herself getting more annoyed as he laughed.

"What's so funny?" She asked, on the verge of doing something that Akane would have done.

Sukido calmed some. In a quick motion, he took her face in his hands and he kissed her. Tender and gentle. Nabiki brain just exploded. She couldn't move. Now she knew how Ranma felt when Mikado had kissed him, yet this was different. Not forced...or unwanted. Just when she began to get into it, he broke the kiss. Still in complete shock, she couldn't say anything. She could only stand there with a dumb look on her face.

"Nabiki dear, I was trying to get to know your family. Akane said she was already engaged to someone called Ranma. Kasumi has Tofu and they are happy. Nabiki, my love, I want you."

Sukido backed off. Nabiki realized that this was the turning point. Yes or No. Choose. Choose what she could have in life. But not just in life. Sukido was kind and affectionate and rich. Oh, was he ever rich. And intelligent, which probably meant that she couldn't exploit him that easily, a challenge of sorts. She blushed slightly and he took notice. She saw his eyes shining in the darkness. She wanted him to continue with the kissing. But she wanted more. For once in her life, Nabiki was going to do something for no profit what so ever. She was going to try to have a relationship with him.

She had to choose, and in that moment, she chose. Nabiki threw her arms around Sukido and kissed him passionately. Kisses that were almost intoxicating. Nabiki's mind blurred out to a fuzzy darkness...

***

Sunlight shone in. Nabiki yawned. Yawned? Nabiki woke up fully. What time was it?

"Sukido!"

No one there. Nabiki tried to remember. Only vague images of kissing, then feeling like they were flying, their impassioned lovemaking until a couple of hours ago.

"Flying? Probably the quickness and everything else last night happening so fast," She said to herself.

Nabiki looked over at the clock on her desk.

"Seven am? At least I can get some more sleep," she muttered.

Nabiki rolled over in her bed and fell back into the darkening tones of sleep.

(Fade to Black)

(Music Begins)

"Forever Yours (Akane's Theme)" Ending Theme For

An Ending To All Our Days

Tell me lies,

Set me free,

What first could not,

Suddenly can be.

Love you forever,

Lose me today,

Look in my eyes,

And hear me say-

I'll love you forever,

Just hear me say,

I'll love you forever,

To my very last day,

I'll love you forever.

Seeing the future,

Being the past,

What's now is forever,

And forever won't last.

Love you forever,

Lose me today,

Look in my eyes,

And hear me say-

I'll love you forever,

Just hear me say,

I'll love you forever,

To my very last day,

I'll love you forever.

(Instrumental Solo)

To protect me you said,

As you stepped into eternity,

Into my heart forever,

You gave your life for me-

I'll love you forever,

Just hear me say,

I'll love you forever,

In so many ways,

I'll love you forever,

To my very last day,

I'll love you forever.