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			The Grass is Always Greener
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							   Part Two of Too Many

		By: Shamus Bowker, aka Tenchi -  tenchi@netcom.ca
		    Allan Scott,   aka Ryoga  -  melscott@direct.ca

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The story so far:

Ranma Saotome, man of action, meets Tenchi Masaki, weenie-man. As Ranma seems 

to need to get out of town for a while, Tenchi offers to let him stay up at his

shrine for a couple of days. Due to some plot circumstances, they wind up finding

out each other's secrets. Otherwise, things go unusually smoothly, and Ranma 

finds himself wishing his life were as peaceful as Tenchi's. Tenchi, knowing what

it's really like, says he'd rather be in Ranma's shoes any day. Ranma suggests they

should switch places if they could. Then Washu shows up...

And now, the fic continues...

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	A couple days after Ranma's unexplained disappearance, members of the 

Tendo household were beginning to show serious concern.

	"Where is that son of mine!" roared Genma. "I raised him to know 

better than to pull something like this!"

	"Well, I for one couldn't care less," stated Akane, sitting at the 

kitchen table.

	"How could he do this?" sobbed Soun. "Abandoning his father, his 

training, his fiancee!"

	"Not my problem!" Akane shouted.

	"You know, Akane," Nabiki said, "if you're worried about Ranma, I 

might be able to help you."

	"I'm not interested, Nabiki," Akane replied.

	"No, I guess not," Nabiki sighed. "After all, we all know how good 

Ranma is at looking out for himself and steering clear of trouble."

	"Yeah, right."

	"And I'd bet Shampoo or Ukyo has probably found him, off in the 

wilderness wherever he is, and I'm sure they'll help him."

	"That jerk!"

	"I guess we shouldn't disturb him, as he's probably much hapier 

wherever he is."

	"Alright Nabiki, what do you want?"

	Outside the Tendo dojo, a figure in chinese clothing approached. It 

was Ranma, well, sort of. He paused to consult his map. Looking up, he 

noticed the sign which read 'Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts 

Dojo'. He looked back at the map, then up into the cloudless sky to see 

where the sun was. ("Look, it's a sun!" cries Shamus. "You're right, it IS a 

sun!" exclaims Allan.) Finally, he looked at the map once more before 

folding it up CAREFULLY and placing it back in his pocket.

	"I guess this is the place," he said to himself quietly.

	He took two more steps toward the gate before stopping again.

	Look's like Washu's invention really did work, Tenchi's mind thought 

from inside Ranma's body. Now I'm going to have to remember everything Ranma 

told me back at the lab.

	Ranma finaly opened the gate and walked into the dojo. He was 

immediately greeted by a charging Genma.

	"Ranma, where have you been?" he demanded, skidding to a halt.

	"Well, what do you know?" Nabiki could be heard from inside the 

kitchen. "My contacts have reported back already! Now wasn't that 

quick?"	

	There was a sudden rush of footsteps followed by Akane screaming, 

"Nabiki!"

	"Please tell me you have a good reason for being gone so long," Soun 

begged as he approached Ranma, tears in his eyes.

	"I was up training at a shrine in the mountains," Ranma delivered his 

prepared response.

	"Really?" Soun sounded incredibly relieved.

	"Which shrine?" Genma questioned threateningly.

	"The Masaki shrine." Ranma tried to sound convincing.

	"And what is the name of the Masaki shrine caretaker?" Genma asked.

	"Katsuhito Masaki," Ranma replied.

	"Is he telling the truth, Genma?" Soun asked.

	"I don't know," Genma answered. "I've never heard of the Masaki 

shrine."

                                 * * * * *

	Deep inside Washu's lab, hidden among the many dimensions of pseudo-

space, Washu was finishing her speech to Ranma, who was now Tenchi.

	"Have you gotten all that?" she asked in conclusion.

	"Yeah, I got it," Tenchi replied. "Ayeka is the one with spiky hair 

who flies around all the time, and Ryoko is the older princess with the 

purple hair, right?"

	"Argh," Washu groaned.

	I didn't invent this machine to switch Tenchi's brain for that of a 

numbskull, she thought.

                                 * * * * *

	Ranma walked into the kitchen, followed by Soun.

	"Hello, Ranma," Akane said in a decidedly nasty tone.

	Uh-oh, Ranma though, it's one of the fiancees. I'd better be nice to 

her.

	"Uh, hi Akane," Ranma replied. "I'm sorry about disappearing like 

that."

	"Uh, hello, is this the Masaki shrine?" Genma's voice could be heard 

in the background.

	"Huh?" Akane said.

	"I'm sorry about disappearing," Ranma repeated. "I just went up into 

the mountains to get in some training."

	She isn't buying this, Ranma thought.

	He's volunteering an apology? Akane was stunned. He sounded so 

sincere!

	"Well, see ya!" Ranma waved as he quickly left the room.

	Akane stared blankly for a moment.

	"Training in the mountains?" she said to herself.

	"Apparently, yes," said Genma, entering the room.

	"But, he was acting kind of weird," Akane thought out loud.

	"Maybe he's maturing," Soun said hopefully.

                                 * * * * *

	"Okay," said Washu, "one more time. Who is the Galaxy Police officer?"

	"Ryoko," replied Ranma.

	"And who," Washu asked, surpressing a groan, "is the eldest princess 

of Jurai?"

	"Sasami," Ranma answered.

	"The younger princess?"

	"Ryo-ohki,"

	"The greatest scientific genius in the universe?"

	"Mihoshi,"

	"The space pirate?"

	"Washu. No. Wait, that's you!"

	"Damn right! You haven't learnt ANYTHING, have you?"

                                 * * * * *

	Ranma had retreated to his sleeping area, hoping to avoid the others 

for a while.

	This isn't going to work, he thought. The others would catch on sooner 

or later.

	The door opened, and Genma walked in.

	"So, Ranma, why don't we see what you learned up at that shrine?" he 

asked in a challenging tone.

	"Uh, gee dad," Ranma stuttered, "I don't know. I'm a little hungry. 

Maybe we should have dinner first."

	"That's my boy!" Genma said proudly. "A martial artist should always 

take an opportunity to eat when it presents itself, for he never knows for 

certain when or where his next meal is going to be!"

	"Uh, yeah," Ranma agreed.

	"C'mon boy, I'll bet Kasumi's almost got dinner ready!" Genma said 

enthusiastically.

	Ranma sighed in relief and followed Genma.

                                 * * * * *

	Tenchi closed the door to Washu's lab and leaned against it. He 

sighed.

	I hope I got this straight, he though to himself.

	Ryoko chose that moment to appear behind Tenchi and squeeze him from 

behind. Without thinking, Tenchi ducked, took a step back and threw Ryoko 

across the room into the wall. Ryoko crashed through the wall with a puzzled 

look on her face.

	Oh great, thought Tenchi, that was the space pirate. Now she's gonna 

kick my ass for SURE.

	Tenchi cringed, expecting a volley of pure energy to come flying from 

the cloud of dust around the opposite wall, but was surprised to hear 

laughter instead.

	"So, Tenchi..." laughed Ryoko as she stepped from the hole in the

wall, "You want to play rough, do you?"

	Ryoko grinned evilly as she began to summon power into her hands.

	Tenchi decided to use his ultimate technique in order to take care of

this situation: The Saotome Final Attack. A technique based around speed,

stealth and separation. Basically, he bolted.

	"Gwaaaaaaaaah!" screamed Tenchi as he ran for the front door.

                                 * * * * *

	Ranma sat at the kitchen table and stared at his new family.

	"So, Ranma, did you have a nice time in the mountains?" asked Kasumi.

	"Uh, yeah. It was.. uh..  very nice and peaceful." he stumbled.

	"Did you bring me a souvenir?" asked Nabiki.

	"Um... I... uh..."

	"Nabiki, he didn't have time to go souvenir shopping if he was busy 

training. Isn't that right Ranma?" Akane spoke.

	Ranma looked at Akane with surprise. I thought Ranma told me she was 

the nasty one, he thought to himself. He realised that everyone was staring 

at him and decided he should say something.

	"Um... yeah. Of course. I was concentrating on my training. I'm sorry, 

Nabiki. I'll be sure to get you something next time." replied Ranma.
	
	"Well, what a kind offer. Isn't he nice everybody. Souvenirs for all!" 

exclaimed Soun joyfully.

	Everyone but Genma leaned towards Ranma with stars in their eyes. 

Genma lifted some rice from his bowl and spoke thoughtfully.

	"What's this about a next time, Ranma my boy?"

	Everyone stopped and sat back down. 

	"Yeah, why would you go back, Ranma? Did you leave something up 

there?" asked Nabiki.

	"Um, no not really..." stammered Ranma, "It's just a good place to train,

that's all."

	"Maybe you should take Akane with you next time you go up there then,

Ranma." suggested Soun.

	"And why would I want to go up to some cruddy little shack up in the

mountains with HIM?" protested Akane.

	Ranma leaned over to Akane and spoke softly to her. "Listen, if you don't

want to go, it's fine with me. I just think you'd like it up there. It's very

beautiful."

	Akane looked over at Ranma with surprise on her face. Ranma looked back at

her with a smile on his face. But it wasn't a teasing smile, it seemed to be a

genuinely nice smile, not a hint of malice behind it. 

	Could he be serious? Akane wondered to herself. He seems to actually mean it.

	Soun looked over at Genma. They both nodded dramatically.

	"Well, I better start on these dishes." said Kasumi, breaking the silence.

	"Oh! Let me help you..." Ranma paused, "...Kasumi."

	"Why thank you Ranma." said Kasumi with surprise.

	Ranma started to stack the rice bowls into a pile and headed off into the

kitchen, singing to himself quietly.

	"Did you know... I am a pioneer....."

	Akane followed Ranma with her eyes as he wandered into the kitchen.

	Man, he's acting weird, she thought.

                                 * * * * *

	The many fields around the Masaki shrine lay filled with carrots, still growing

and not yet ready to be picked. From her vantage point, Ayeka viewed the scene, and was

impressed by the sense of calm it imparted upon her. She sighed as she sipped her tea.

She could even hear birds chirping as the cherry blossoms floated along on the breeze.

There was something else too, she noticed. It sounded like Tenchi... screaming?

	Suddenly, Tenchi tore through the peaceful scene with Ryoko in tow, hurling

bolts of pure energy into the pristine farmland.

	"What?" Ayeka shrieked.

	There's nowhere to hide in this field, Tenchi thought to himself. What am I

going to do?

	"Ryoko! Stop that at once!" Ayeka commanded.

	"You're no fun!" Ryoko replied, before continue to take potshots at the

fleeing Tenchi.

	"You'll hurt Tenchi!" Ayeka screamed.

	"Hey! He started it!"

	Tenchi finally reached the edge of the field and ran into the forest. Ryoko

barreled in after him, but realized she had lost sight of him in the dense undergrowth.

	"What have you done to him?" Ayeka called, running to catch up.

	"I was just playing with him," said Ryoko.

	"Tenchi obviously didn't want to play like THAT," replied Ayeka.

	"He sure seemed to back at the house," Ryoko stated.

	"Tenchi, come out of there!" Ayeka called.

	"Yeah, Tenchi, come on!" Ryoko added.

	No way, Tenchi thought. I'm not going out there.

	"I think maybe you've hurt him," said Ayeka.

	"No way, he's just hiding," Ryoko argued.

	Just go away, Tenchi prayed.

	                                 * * * * *

	In her lab, Washu was once again on her interstellar communication device.

	"So, you want me to send you the design specs AGAIN?" she said in an annoyed tone.

	"Yes," a deep raspy voice said.

	"Why?" demanded Washu.

	"Family problems. You see, my son..."

	"Oh, never mind. I'll send it to you first thing tomorrow."

	"Thank you. The Emperor will be most pleased."

	"Yeah yeah, sure thing. Just remind him he still owes me for the LAST one."

	With that, Washu terminated the link. Then she turned to her keyboard and

activated the external monitor.

	"I wonder what Ranma's up to," she said out loud.

	On the screen appeared an image of Tenchi, huddled beneath the bushes by the

edge of the forest. Ryoko and Ayeka were visible in the distance, arguing with each other.

	Washu laughed a little. Then she hit a button on her keyboard, and the screen

switched to a scene of Ranma washing dishes with Kasumi.

	"Looks like Tenchi's pretty happy so far," she said. "Well, we'll see."

	                                 * * * * *

	"Well Soun," Genma said, once everybody else had cleared out of the eating

area, "it looks like our childern are finally learning to get alone with each other."

	"Yes," Soun agreed. "That must have been quite some traning he went through."

	"I wonder what happened to him up at that shrine?" Genma pondered.

	In the kitchen, Ranma pulled the last dish out of the still-warm dishwashing

water.

	"Thank you for helping with the dishes," said Kasumi.

	"Oh, my pleasure," replied Ranma.

	"It's nice that you're helping around the house now," Kasumi added.

	"Hey, no problem," Ranma said.

	Ranma started out the door, but paused.

	I guess I should help around the place, he thought. It's not as if I don't have

the time. 

	"I'll be back before 10!" he called back into the kitchen, "I've gotta go do 

something!"

	"Okay, don't be too late, you have school tomorrow!" replied Kasumi.

	                                 * * * * *
	
	It had been quiet for some time now. Tenchi was beginning to think that Ayeka

and Ryoko had finally given up on luring him out of the forest and left. He looked left, 

then right, then left again, and decided to take a chance. He crawled forward a few feet

and poked his head above the "shrubbery line" and peered over the top into no-man's land.

	Ryoko, who had been lying on her lawn chair in front of the house, looked up. "Hey

Ayeka, look. Tenchi's finally coming out."

	Ayeka rolled over on her lawn chair and looked out into the forest. 

	"My, so he is."

	"Tenchi!" called Ryoko cheerfully, "you wanna come out and play with me some more?"

	Tenchi sighed and drifted back into the forest.

	"You scared him off, Ryoko!" accused Ayeka.

	"Did not. He wasn't going to come out anyway." 

	"Anyways, what were you saying?"

	"Oh yes, so anyway, I walked up to him, threw the mini-squid in his face, and 

left."

	"Oh my! And then what happened?"

	"Well, then...."	

	                                 * * * * *

	Ranma wandered through the streets. I've got to do something, he thought, I

don't want to be a freeloader or anything. I've got to help. I will help.

	Ranma pulled out his trusty map and looked at it thoughtfully. 

	"Don't fail me now, map! Guide me! Tell me where to go!" he spoke to the 

inanimate object.

	The map stared back at him.

	He glared at the map.

	The map continued to stare back.

	"What are you doing, son-in-law?" inquired a voice from somewhere around

his knees.

	Ranma jumped a few feet back and stared at his map with wonder in his eyes.	
	
	"Is there something wrong, son-in-law?" the voice continued.

	Ranma finally realised that the voice was not coming from the map. He looked

around, but could see no-one around. He carefully folded the map and carefully placed

it in his pocket. Carefully.

	A large wooden knob came into his field of vision. His brain had just enough

time to advise him in no uncertain terms that this was going to hurt.

	"Ow! What was that?" he cried.

	"For not even looking at me when I talk to you, son-in-law." replied the

voice.

	Ranma's eyes followed the voice and gradually focused on a small old woman

with long white hair. He thought back to what the real Ranma had told him. This must

be Cologne, he thought.

	"Oh, um, sorry there. Didn't see you there." he said sheepishly.

	"Never mind. What are you doing around this part of town, son-in-law?"

	Ranma looked around. He seemed to be in a commercial part of town. There were

a number of shops around, and he was standing right outside of the Nekohanten, which

appeared to be a ramen shop.

	"I was.. uh.. going to get some ramen?" he replied.

	"Hmm..." said Cologne, "Interesting... you would appear to be searching for 

more than just ramen, however. Come to get your job back?"

	"My job?" asked Ranma.

	"You were the best waitress the Cat Cafe ever had! Even better than my grand-

daughter, even! When you were around, we did four times the business. I'd even pay

you this time."

	Waitress? thought Ranma, Jeez, the other Ranma must have been really strapped

for cash at one point. Still, it's a job...

	                                 * * * * *

	Back in her lab, Washu was staring at her screen thoughtfully. She froze the

image and zoomed into a close-up of Cologne's face.

	"No... it couldn't be, could it?" she thought aloud.

	                                 * * * * *		

	Tenchi was sick of waiting. It was dark. He was tired. He was hungry.

	He decided to take a chance. 

	He poked his head above the "shrubbery line" and peered into no-man's land

once more. It was dark. He realised that he couldn't see a bloody thing. He shrugged,

stood up, and crept back towards the house. He grinned to himself as he travelled.

	"Now THIS is training..." he said quietly.

	                                 * * * * *

				So endeth the second part...

	                                 * * * * *


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*Shamus's Notes:*
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I get to go first in the notes this time! Haha.... 

It's OVER! YES! (this part anyway...) 

NEXT TIME:	Where does Washu know Cologne from? How will Ranma deal with his
		"friends" at school? Where will we slip the mini-squid in THIS time?

Well, we're trying to get better. We're not releasing this one until I can
get a webpage up (which shouldn't be too long, I do lots of homepages ^_^)

The story is HOPEFULLY getting a little better, with more CHARACTER and, as
Allan calls them, SOPPY bits. Hey, I LIKE soppy. Soppy is good. Look for some 
good story in the next one ^^;

Hi people!

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*Allan's Notes:*
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Just to clear things up, this takes place after what is curently the last
Tenchi OAV (Episode 13 - Here Comes Jurai) and any time after the first 
Ranma movie. That should explain Kiyone's absence. (Sorry Mike :)

Alright, I apologize for leaving Azaka and Kamidake out of the bios last
volume. I'm putting them in with this volume to make up for that. But 
they're only minor characters!

Character bios revisited: (Characters who weren't in the first volume)

Azaka & Kamidake:	Guardians of Jurai. Big wooden logs that can fly and 
			talk. One has a red symbol, the other a blue. I 				don't know which is which. They spend most of their 
			time watching the gate at Tenchi's house, when 
			they're not aiding in the capture of intergalatic 
			criminals.

Genma Saotome:		Ranma's father. Acts like mister martial artist. 
			Very concerned about Akane and Ranma's engagement 
			working out. Turns into a panda when splashed with 
			cold water, and changes back with hot water.

Soun Tendo:		Father of the Tendo sisters, and Genma's friend.
			Another weenie-man. Cries alot. Equally worried 
			about Akane and Ranma's engagement.

Second person on
phone with Washu:	No clues this time either! Isn't it obvious?

Cologne:		Shampoo's great grandmother. Old-school Amazon....
			(or is she? :)

	Final Note: Why do *I* have to do all the serious stuff?

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