Epilogue

    Ryouga ran through the woods, exhilarated.  He'd been traveling for almost a week, barely stopping to eat or sleep.  He chanted his usual mantra for Saotome Ranma's death as he made his way through bushes and around trees, but his heart wasn't entirely in it.  He had the cure!  His plan was to take the cure in front of Ranma, maybe even give it to Shampoo and Mousse and even Genma if he was good about it.  And then while Ranma watched, prove that once and for all he was free of the curse!  But then maybe, if Ranma was nice about it, he'd even share it with him, but only for the sake of the beautiful doctor who'd shown him that two wrongs don't make a right -- in this case.
    He hoped he could get lost enough to make his way back to the time he knew as his own.  "If I try to find it, I don't know where I'll end up.  Maybe if I try to find my way back to the Meiji era..."  He ran through the woods, cursing when he was slapped in the face by a particularly sharp branch, dodging around endless trunks and roots and wild animals.  He'd been running for hours but it seemed like less.  However, it was beginning to grow dark and he figured he'd best find shelter.
    The woods came to an abrupt end on a scene that looked vaguely familiar.  There were lights ahead, and buildings, but it was still quite some distance away.  Too tired to figure it out, he curled up in a pile of leaves at the edge of the forest and made himself comfortable for the night.  He sighed resignedly at the clouds that were gathering overhead, but there was not much he could do about it if it rained.
    He woke the next morning to a pile of wet leaves and loose clothes.  Sighing again, Pchan wriggled out of the pile and wondered how best to make his way onward.  Somehow he managed to push his pack and other belongings onto his shirt.  Picking up the sleeves in his mouth, he trudged on slowly.  No matter how strong he was, it was a difficult burden that he carried in his current form.  Somehow, there had to be an easier way but he hadn't yet figured it out.
    Slowly he made his way to the buildings he'd seen up ahead.
    This was definitely familiar.  He thought perhaps he'd spent enough time here to recognize it.  This was Tokyo -- the Tokyo he'd left, the Tokyo where Akane lived, and where Saotome would at last learn humility!  Excitement filled his system and he picked up the pace.  It HAD to be Tokyo!
    It was strange.  For the first time in his life, he was winning!  REALLY winning!  He wasn't lost, and he had the cure for the Jusenkyou curse, and he could cure himself and the others once and for all, except of course for Ranma, and THEN see what chance the sex changing jerk had with Akane!  Ryouga almost feared letting his hopes get too high.
    Fortune was with him.  Luck was with him.  The dice were all on his side, everything was coming up roses, this was finally his day!  Ryouga stopped in front of the Tendou Dojo.  It was during school hours; Ranma and Akane would be at school but Tendou Soun would be around.  And because his luck was going so well, Ryouga was pleased to see the Tendou patriarch relaxing in a hot bath when he walked in.  He climbed into the tub, rose, and walked out quietly, wrapping a towel around himself as he went back for his clothes.
    He saw Shampoo careening by on her bicycle and called out to her.  "Hey, Shampoo!"
    "Hm?"  The startled cyclist looked around.  "Oh, is only Ryouga."  She looked disappointed.
    "Shampoo, I have a cure!  But there's a hitch.  I'll give it to you if you gather the others that have been cursed here by the time Ranma and Akane get back from school."
    "Cure?"  Shampoo looked skeptical.  "Why Shampoo believe you?"
    "I know there's no reason but you've got to believe me!"  Something in his expression must have convinced her.
    "Okay, Shampoo bring IF Shampoo have cure first!"
    "Yes!  Yes, Thank you Shampoo!  Thank you!"  Ryouga settled back as she pedaled off.  The stage was set.  As long as Akane wasn't there...  But his luck was such today that he would be safe of that, he was sure.
    The time passed slowly, but it wasn't all that long really before Shampoo had returned with Mousse.   Genma and Soun heard the commotion and came out -- wherever Shampoo went, there was a commotion.  Ryouga quickly outlined his plan to the others and was amazed at how quickly they agreed.  This was certainly too good to be true!  He prayed it would last long enough to make his ultimatum...
    Just in time, too, for at that moment who should arrive but Ranma.  Soun waited for him out front.
    "Hello, Ranma.  Where's Akane?"
    "Ah, she had some club she wanted to stick around for.  She'll be home later I guess."
    "I see.  Well, in any event, you have some friends over to visit."
    "Huh?"  Ranma trotted inside to face the gang of four -- Ryouga, Genma, Shampoo and Mousse.
    Ryouga heard the conversation, privately thinking that Kenshin's "Oro" was so much more pleasant to hear.  "Saotome."
     "What do you want, Ryouga?"  He registered the others.  "Shampoo and Mousse?  Pops, what's goin' on?"  Ranma looked to his father suspiciously.
    "Ryouga here says he has a cure."  The old man gave not an inch.
    "The cure?  GIMME!!"
    "Ah ah ah, it's not so easy as that.  Ryouga wants to have a word with you first."  Mousse looked smug.  "And he's not the only one."
    "Mousse, Ranma over THERE!"  Shampoo turned the myopic Amazon around to face Ranma.  "That coat rack you look at!"
    "Oh."  Mousse looked embarrassed.
    "Saotome Ranma, I have traveled many miles, crossing even the barriers of time.  I have spent weeks in strange circumstances struggling to survive against the odds but I have come back at last to the Tokyo I know as my home, to win the heart of the fair Akane and to teach you a lesson you'll not soon forget!  Learn humility, Saotome Ranma!  Learn shame, for I have found the cure for the curse of Jusenkyou!"
    "Okay so what's the catch?"
    "There is no catch!  Only learn humility as I cure all the rest of us, and perhaps I shall give you the last dose!  Beg for it, Saotome!"  Ryouga glowed with battle aura and a greedy look.  At last, at last revenge was his!  The sweet taste of victory!
    "Give cure, Ryouga!"  Shampoo looked like she was losing patience.
    Ryouga looked at her, irked that she had spoiled his moment, and reached into his pocket.
    And into his other pocket.  And into every crease and crevice of his clothing.  And into his pack, emptying the whole thing onto the floor, searching frantically among its contents.  Where was it, where was the vial with the cure!?  It had to be here, it had to, he could not have lost it, not and come so far --
    He stared in shock at his scattered belongings on the floor.  His cry echoed across distance, across hearts, across time itself.  "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

    It had been a week since Ryouga had left.  Megumi rested her head on Kenshin's shoulder with Sanosuke standing behind them as Kaoru and Yahiko practiced in the yard.  "Such a beautiful day.  I wonder if Ryouga got home all right.  Will get home all right?"
    Kenshin smiled at her.  "I'd like to think he did.  He will?"
    "Doesn't matter, really.  As long as we're cured."
    "Oh Sano, stop being such a chickenhead."
    "Fox."
    "Yare, yare..."
     Well, at least things were back to normal at the Kamiya Dojo.