Done with first half of part 3.  It probably needs lots
of work.  Your C&C will be muchly appreciated.  Too serious?
Not serious enough?  Eh?
        Second part will follow as soon as I finish writing
myself out of the corner.

                     Nabiki - New Horizons
                     Pt. 3 - Honeymoon Hell
                        By Uncle Fester


     A pleasant breeze raced the sunshine to reach the
honeymoon suite's oversized bed.  A newlywed couple, covered
by only a single silken sheet, were sleeping late. 
     The girl lazily stretched, relishing the feel of the
silken sheets on her bare skin.  Happily, she snuggled
closer to her sleeping husband, her head on his muscular
shoulder.  Partially awake, she slowly caressed the skin of
his chest; tracing a line around his pectoral muscles.  A
small smile spread over her face.  She had never thought
sleeping with someone else would be so...comfortable.
     <Mrs. Jeff Lawrence> she thought slowly to herself as
she held up her left hand and admired the wedding ring that
now adorned her finger.  A satisfied feeling engulfed her.
     <Not bad, Nabiki old girl.> she mused while watching
the slow rise and fall of her husband's chest. <Last year at
this time, you were trying to think of another money making
scam and working out a way of going to college.  Who
would've thought that one year later you'd be married to a
guy who has more money than even you can spend?> She
snuggled closer.
     She had chosen well.  He was kind, attentive, and
considerate of her opinions.  He slept quietly, unlike
members of her own family who tossed and turned all night. 
She stretched again, wincing slightly. <Must have gotten a
little carried away, last night.> she moved her legs
gingerly.  <Maybe I shouldn't have made him take so many
cold showers before the wedding.>  She chuckled softly.
<Gonna be a little sore today.> The images and echoes of the
night before flashed through her mind, leaving her more than
slightly excited.  The wedding night had been...
indescribable.
     Jeff stirred and slowly opened his eyes.  As Nabiki
planned, her face was the first thing he saw.
     "Ohaiyo, Mrs. Lawrence." he murmured.
     "Ohaiyo, my husband." she was being formal in a teasing
way.  "Did you sleep well?"
     "[yawning]I kept having this wonderful dream."
     "Oh?"
     "It was about a beautiful young Japanese girl."
     "Hmmm.  I think I like this dream.  Tell me more."
     "She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen."
     "Describe her."
     "Beautiful brown eyes."
     "Good."
     "Kawaii little nose."
     "I like this."
     "Terrific body and dynamite in bed."
     "Ooooh, I think I know who she is."
     "...and long black hair."
     "WHAT?!!"  Nabiki grabbed a pillow and smacked her
giggling husband as he rolled out of the bed.  "Does the
word: 'annulment', mean anything to you?"  She was having a
hard time looking angry; she kept breaking into giggles of
her own.
     Tucking the covers around her body as she sat up, she
shot Jeff one of her 'looks'.  "Just for that, *I'm* going
home to daddy." she pouted.
     "Sorry, sweetie." Jeff answered as he stretched,
flexing the muscles she had admired since that first night
in her father's dojo.  "Your dad told me at the reception
that he has a strict 'no return' policy.  Something about
used goods."
     "Oooooh!" Nabiki grabbed another pillow and threw it
after Jeff as he retreated into the bathroom.
     Chuckling softly to herself, she thought of yet another
reason why she loved him; he was fun to be with.
     "By the way," he said loudly enough to be heard over
the sink's running water.  "I have to go down to the
lawyer's office and sign the final inheritance papers this
morning."
     Nabiki climbed out of bed and slipped into her yukata
and slippers.
     "I also have to go down and give a statement at the
police station about my cousin Monty."  Jeff actually
sounded a little sad about his cousin's actions.  They had
never gotten along, even before his grandparents died. 
Monty always thought that Jeff was an unwelcome and
illegitimate addition to the family.  When Jeff's
grandparents left all their money to their grandson, it only
served to push the already unstable Montgomery Phillips over
the edge.
     Nabiki had known the day after their wedding would
be a little disjointed due to Jeff wrapping up his
inheritance.  In a way, she was kind of glad for the time
alone.  Not that she didn't enjoy being with her new
husband.  On the contrary, she relished every moment.  It's
just she was more used to a solitary lifestyle.  This
'togetherness' thing was going to take a little getting used
to.
     For some reason, she began picking up all the discarded
clothes from the night before. 
     <Good grief.> she paused. <I'm turning into a
'Kasumi'.> She looked at the bundle she had already picked
up and scowled.  Carefully picking out Jeff's clothes and
dropping them back onto the floor, she thought: <Let him
pick up his own clothes.  I'm not his mother.>
     She was about to look into getting dressed when an
envelope slid quietly under the door from the hall.  She
only noticed because it moved so quickly across the carpet,
it startled her.
     <I wonder which sister is sending me notes on the
morning after.> she mused, bending over to pick up the
envelope. <Probably want me to meet them somewhere to do a
little 'girl talk'.> She rolled her eyes. <Like I'm going to
tell them anything about last night.  Well, maybe just the
part about the Jacuzzi.> She smiled to herself when she
remembered being in the honeymoon suite whirlpool...with
Jeff...and some champagne... hmmmmmmm.>
     Shaking her head, she reminded herself that there were
things to do and she had no time for daydreams; no matter
how good they might have been.  She turned her attention to
the envelope.
     As expected, it was addressed to her.  What was inside
was completely unexpected.

     'Nabiki Lawrence: It was an honor to be able to help
you on your wedding day.  Meet me at noon at the gymnasium
of Chaminade University.  Tell no one you are coming.  We
need to talk.
                                   Sodoshi.'

     <So, Sodoshi is the name of the ninja that helped
thwart the wedding day assault.>  Nabiki quickly tucked the
note in her purse and nonchalantly began dressing. <If Jeff
has to go to all those meetings, I'll have some time to look
into this 'Sodoshi' person.>
     Jeff soon emerged from the bathroom ready for his busy
day.  Resisting the urge to drag Nabiki back to bed, he
quickly dressed and, apologizing repeatedly for having to
interrupt their honeymoon for business, left for the
meetings that would convert the last of the Phillips
financial empire into his.
     Nabiki, dressed in a simple pinafore and blouse that
looked strangely like one of Akane's outfits, used her
Japanese-English pocket dictionary to carefully translate
the Japanese name for the place they were to meet into
English. 
     <It's almost like being back in school.> she giggled
remembering all the mindless translations she and her
classmates had to endure.

     Out front of the hotel, Nabiki hailed a taxi, pointed
to the address of the gymnasium and relaxed when the driver
nodded that he understood.  
     The trip itself took less time than Nabiki's haggling
with the driver over a tip.  Such things were simply not
done in Japan and she couldn't understand why the driver
felt he deserved extra compensation for transporting her
where she paid him to take her in the first place.  Besides,
he didn't even open the door for her.
     Standing alone outside the gymnasium, Nabiki looked
around carefully.  It was between semesters and virtually
all the students and faculty had left.  Only birds disrupted
the abandoned look of the university.
     <Maybe, she meant inside.> Nabiki thought as she tried
one of the glass doors.  It easily swung open and she
cautiously stepped inside.  The foyer was poorly lit by the
indirect sunlight coming through the glass doors but she
could see well enough to tell there was no one inside
either.
     "In here, clan sister." came a female voice from the
gymnasium darkness.
     Cautiously, Nabiki crept to the open door leading to
the basketball arena and looked in.  The gloomy darkness of
the empty arena cast a depressing aura around her.
     "Come in.  I've been waiting for you, clan sister."
     Nabiki's 'gift' of being able to detect dangerous
situations was whispering to her now.  Whomever was in the
arena was potentially dangerous.  Swallowing hard, Nabiki
fought the urge to run for the outside door; to abandon this
mysterious meeting and never look back.  But her curiosity
about this 'Sodoshi' person who wore the mark of her
mother's shinobi clan, was overwhelming.  She *had* to know. 
Slowly, Nabiki slipped inside.
     "So, you decided to come." the female voice announced. 
"I wasn't sure you had the courage."
     As Nabiki's eyes adjusted to the arena's gloom, she
could make out a female figure approaching slowly.     
Scared but still curious, Nabiki responded to the taunt.  "I
came because I wished to see you."  Her voice was
surprisingly firm.
     "Odd.  I would have figured you for a shrinking wall
flower." the girl replied advancing into the light.  "Master
Sato was right.  You *do* have the blood."
     Nabiki finally got a good look at this mysterious
shadow warrior.  She was slightly taller than Nabiki but
with a model's body.  Her long dark hair was tied into dual
pony tails that trailed over each shoulder and down her
chest; not unlike the ones Nabiki herself wore when she was
a child.  Her face was flawlessly beautiful and reflected a
timeless beauty that Japanese women were renowned for
throughout the world.  If she were not a ninja, she would
have surely been a model or idol singer.  She also noticed
the girl walked oddly, like someone with a stomach-ache or a
bad back; slightly bent to one side and forward.
     "I want to thank you for what you did..."  Nabiki began
humbly.  And why not?  She owed her life to this woman.
     "Save it, Nabiki Lawrence." the girl snapped.  
     "That's Tendo-Lawrence.  I've kept my family name."
Nabiki corrected, slightly irritated that she had been
verbally slapped by this woman.
     The girl just laughed.  "Oh, forgive me, Miss Wealthy
clan sister." she taunted openly.  "I had no idea I was
offending Mistress Tendo-Lawrence."
     Nabiki just closed her eyes and fought back the urge to
tell the girl off and leave.  She came to talk, not trade
insults.  "I want to know of my mother's clan.  Because
you're a member.."
     "Survivor!" the girl cut her off again.  "I, Sodoshi
Tanaka, am a survivor!"  Her voice echoed throughout the
gymnasium.  She sounded both proud and angry at the same
time.
     "I'm... sorry..."  This was not going the way Nabiki
intended.  She had hoped for a friendly discussion of the
history of her clan with one who was in a position to know
but found only a bitter, hateful girl.
     "You still don't understand, do you?" she looked at
Nabiki with disgust.  "While you were growing up in a loving
environment, I was running for my life." the girl spit at
Nabiki.  "You went to Furinkan Senior High School.  Do you
know how many high schools I've attended trying to hide? 
Seven.  While you were safe behind the walls of the Tendo
School of Martial Arts, I lost my mother, my father, *and*
my older brother."
     Nabiki tried to find words to express her emotions but
failed.  "Surely, you don't think I had anything to do
with..."
     "Oh, but I hate you.  I hate you because *you* sat out
the blood hunt while I, and my family, paid the ultimate
price."  Sodoshi was venting 20 years of frustration, fear,
and sorrow on her distant clan sister.  "I've done my last
favor for you and your phoney clan member husband.  And tell
that old man Sato, we're even now.  My debt to him is paid." 
She paused with a far away look of anger. "You should be
thankful I'm not going to leave a trail so the assassins can
find you and your perfect little family."
     "The blood hunt is over." Nabiki was being surprisingly
calm throughout the Sodoshi barrage.  "It ended when I
married Jeff."
     "The feud is over when *I* say it's over!  I, suffered
at the hands of those animals!  I, endured their hunts!  I,
will decide when peace comes!"
     "I lost a mother to the hunt." Nabiki narrowed her eyes
at the older girl.
     "Your mother!?" the girl snorted.  "Your mother wasn't
killed by the assassins, you idiot.  Your mother died of
natural causes."
     "I'm not going to match tragedies with you, Sodoshi. 
What of our clan's elders?"
     "ELDERS!?!" the girl roared.  "There's barely any clan
left.  It'll take generations to rebuild, ...if then."
     "You could start."  Nabiki tried to sound hopeful. 
"Get married.  Have children.  Teach them the way of our
people.  We can have a clan again."  The upbeat, optimistic
businesswoman in Nabiki was taking over.
     The girl practically vibrated with anger, tears
streaming down her cheeks.  Tearing open the lower half of
her blouse, she revealed an abdomen that looked like
something out of a horror movie.  Poorly healed scars ran in
a 'z' pattern across her stomach.  Lumps where the muscles
failed to rejoin properly competed with pits where
infections had festered to complete a horror that only a
Hollywood special effects artist could dream up.
     "I have nothing to have children with!  The hunters saw
to that." she screamed, her beautiful face twisted into a
mask of hate.  "I was attacked by two assassins in MY OWN
HOME!  They drugged me and tried to make it look like I was
committing ritual suicide.  While one held me down, the
other used his knife..." she swallowed hard.  "I felt every
cut!  After the attack, I survived three days in a pool of
my own blood.  Scared to call for help.  Scared of who would
answer.  Scared they would come back.  But I lived!  To
avoid detection while I recovered, I lived on the streets. 
I ate rotting garbage from alleys to avoid being seen.  But
I lived!  I shunned hospitals and doctors because any one of
them could alert the hunters.  Instead I relied on clan
cures and ancient medicines. I should have died a dozen
times.  But I lived!"  The last she hissed through clenched
teeth.
     Nabiki stared at the girl's scars until she was sure
she would see them in her nightmares.  Looking away, the
cold realization of all Sodoshi had gone through caused her
to tremble slightly.  It was true.  While Nabiki and her
sisters were living a comfortable life in Nerima, others,
Sodoshi Tanaka included, were being systematically hunted
and killed by persons unknown, simply because of who they
were related to.  It was brutal.  It was barbaric.  It was
traditional Japanese.
     "Sodoshi, I really want to help you." Nabiki tried
again to reach out to her only link to her mother's clan.
     "I don't want help from you or your gaijin husband!"
she screamed back at Nabiki.  "I don't know what Master Sato
is up to but I'm not waiting around to find out.  You wind
up dead that way!"
     "Sodoshi, why did you want to have this meeting?  To
yell at me for all the things you've had to endure because
of a mistake made by some of your...our ancestors 400 years
ago?"
     "No Nabiki." she replied sarcastically.  "Only to let
you know that, clan or not, I won't protect you and I won't
go away.  I'm going to be close enough so I can watch you
every day.  Every time you fall down, I'll be watching. 
Every time you suffer a loss, I'll be watching.  And if they
come for you or one of your sweet sisters, I'll be watching. 
I want to see you suffer as much as I did."
     Nabiki was about to respond when the slamming of a door
down the hall attracted her attention.  It was only a
janitor retrieving his mop.  When she turned back, Sodoshi
Tanaka was gone.  Like the trained shadow warrior she was,
she had vanished without a trace. Nabiki almost called out
for her to return, to try to reason with the girl, but she
knew it would be pointless.
     With sagged shoulders and shaking her head slowly,
Nabiki walked out of the gymnasium building and into the
bright Hawaiian sunshine.  What Sodoshi had told her
bothered her greatly.  Trying to imagine the horrors the
girl had grown up experiencing only made the whole episode
seem that much more unreal.  Ninja assassins in the 20th
century?  Nabiki just shook her head again and sat down on
the gymnasium steps.  Putting her head on her drawn up
knees, she silently cried for Sodoshi's trials, for all the
girl had gone through.  It wasn't supposed to be this way. 
Her marriage to Jeff was supposed to stop all this nonsense. 
Everyone was supposed to be grateful or relieved or
something.  Why had that girl turned on her?
     "Because she carries the weight of ten generations,
little one."
     Nabiki recognized that voice.
     "Master Sato.  Is there nothing I can do?" she spoke
into her legs, too embarrassed to even look his way.
     "In time, Sodoshi will slay the dragons in her heart."
he said patiently.  "In a way, it's my fault.  I failed
her."  He sighed.
     "Failed?" Nabiki wiped the last of her tears and looked
at the shinobi master.
     "Even before her parents were killed, I had come to the
conclusion that this foolish bloodletting had gone on long
enough." the master paused.  "At the great shinobi council,
I and my clan's elders argued for the killing to cease. 
Whatever retribution the deaths were to extract had long
since lost their meaning.  All but one clan agreed."
     Sato paused looking towards the blue ocean in the
distance.  His face wore a tired expression.
     "She was only 14 years old." He sounded like a sad
grandfather.  "Her brother was 19 and strong in the ways of
our people.  It didn't matter.  They killed him and his
girlfriend at a mountain spa.  They made it look like,
shinju, a lovers' double suicide."
     Nabiki fearfully thought back to her own visit to a
mountain spa with Jeff.  Had someone been stalking her even
then?  She quickly dismissed such thoughts when she
remembered that Sodoshi threatened to point out her family
to the assassins.  That would mean that whoever was behind
the murders of the Tanaka family had no idea of the Tendos
and their clan relationship.  She trembled again when she
thought about what might have happened to her mother's
brothers and sisters.
     "Sodoshi was stronger in the will to live than her
brother.  She spoke the truth about her ordeal."  The master
was idly tracing designs in the dirt with his staff.  "I
only found out about the attack after she had abandoned her
apartment.  The amount of blood she left behind..."
     "You tried to help her?"  Nabiki asked in a small
voice.
     "We looked vary hard for months afterwards and found no
trace of her.  She is a very good shadow warrior."
     "She said her debt to you was paid."
     "Yes, she felt a debt because I was the first to
eventually find her.  She was very ill; a bad infection and
high fever.  I led her to believe I was just a harmless old
man and took her in.  In time, I was able to stop the
infection and she recovered." he paused. "When she had
recovered her strength, I felt she had a right to know the
truth; about me... the shinobi ...this foolish 'blood
hunt'."
     This was the closest Nabiki had ever seen Master Sato
come to a genuine emotion.  His face suddenly looked older. 
The 'blood hunts' had taken their toll on more than the Clan
of The Cold Moon.
     "I wanted her to know I meant her no harm.  I wanted
her to have a chance to finish growing up; to have a normal
life again."
     Sato shifted his position slightly, uncomfortable with
his admissions.  "Her injuries had healed poorly.  That's
why she is unable to stand straight." he softly added as if
it were an afterthought.  "Because of all that I had done
for her, she trusted me to a limited degree."
     "It didn't sound like that to me." Nabiki interjected. 
"In fact, she sounded like someone highly suspicious of you
and your motives."
     "Perhaps, little one.  I fear her mind is slowly
dissolving into madness.  Twenty years of being hunted..." 
Master Sato paused to look at one of the designs he had just
traced.  "I believed she would help you because of her
kinship.  I believed meeting you would help her see that
there is life after the 'hunt'.  I knew of this meeting and 
hoped the two of you would talk... would help each other. 
Obviously, I desired a better outcome."
     Silence engulfed the pair for a few moments.
     "We are a vanishing people, you know." the master
finally said.  "More and more of our young people are
abandoning their mountain lifestyles for the lure of the big
city.  We cannot compete with the excitement and glamor of
Tokyo and Osaka.  If things remain the way they are, inside
two or three generations, the shinobi will be only a
footnote in Japan's history."  He stopped tracing in the
dirt and looked directly at Nabiki.  "That's why opening the
cave is so important.  It will revitalize the shinobi people
and give them a new purpose."
     "Perhaps the future lies in adapting the clan structure
to the corporate world?" Nabiki phrased her thoughts in the
business terms she was most comfortable with.  Since
discovering her heritage, she had toyed with the idea of
using her skills more actively in the corporate world.  With
Jeff's money to back her, she felt sure she could be highly
successful.
     "No, little one." he shook his head sadly.  "Others
have tried.  Only the Clan of the Snow Fox were able to make
such a transition.  But I fear it was not for the best."
     "I don't understand."
     "Instead of fusing the shinobi spiritual teaching to
their business life, they kept the 'darker' aspects of our
people; espionage, sabotage and even the occasional
assassination.  There can be no pride in our heritage while
such men exist."
     "Are *they* behind the last of the  blood hunts'?"
     Master Sato took a deep breath before answering. 
Interclan warfare was never one of his favorite subjects.
     "I believe so." he looked at Nabiki.  "The Tanaka
family held large amounts of public stock in companies that
were coveted by the Clan of the Snow Fox.  I fear they were
killed to obtain controlling interest in those companies."
     Nabiki stared at Master Sato in horror.  She had heard
of marginally legal means used by corporations during
takeover bids in the past, but the use of assassination for
the purpose of corporate raiding was more vicious than
anything she could, or would, consider doing.  It was so
outside the bounds of her own personal code of ethics that
she had trouble comprehending its maliciousness.
     Silently, she wished she knew all this before marrying
Jeff.  Perhaps, if she had refused him...
     "You could not." Master Sato's voice sounded grave. 
"Your destiny lies with Jeff Lawrence.  You cannot evade
destiny, little one."

     For days, Master Sato's words echoed in Nabiki's head
as she and Jeff went through the motions of their honeymoon. 
Jeff tried his best to make things enjoyable but was
constantly faced with a distracted wife.  Even their sleep
was affected.  Every noise caused Nabiki to awake with a
lurch only to lay awake for hours listening for the sounds
of danger.  By week's end, Nabiki was both a physical and
emotional wreck.
     True to her word, Sodoshi was there when an exhausted
Nabiki accompanied her husband to the desk to check out.
Sodoshi's little satisfied smile told Nabiki all she needed
to know about her own looks.  She must have been a sight.
     
     The return to Nerima was a mixed blessing.  Back in
familiar surroundings, Nabiki felt marginally safer but
continued to look over her shoulder constantly.  
     Sodoshi continued her war of nerves, constantly leaving
hints that she had been nearby whenever Nabiki left the
compound.  With each hint, Nabiki retreated more and more
into her own world.  Verbal fights would break out between
her an Jeff whenever he tried to make her realize that she
was safe.
     Reduced to sitting in her own room, now made up to
accommodate both her and Jeff, Nabiki would stare out of the
window for hours.  Akane even tried to get some reaction out
of her but failed to elicit so much as a familiar Nabiki
'put down'.

        "Sato," the booming voice of an elder seemed to fill
the cavern.  "The time of the prophecy approaches."
     Master Sato, standing as an equal, listened to the
elders with his usual blank expression.  Even in this
stronghold of his people's power, he hid his own feelings. 
His ability to shield his emotions usually left the elders
frustrated; something he secretly enjoyed.
     "A mistake has been made." a second voice noted with
some emotion.
     Sato almost lost control over his own emotions with
that pronouncement.
     "Mistake?  What kind of mistake?" he asked bluntly.
     "Until now, all references to the monk's legend and the
scroll were handed down from generation to generation." the
first voice said.  "No one had actually *read* the scroll
since it was originally found."
     Sato closed his eyes and slapped his forehead with his
free hand. <I don't believe this.  Four hundred years...?>
     "Jeff Lawrence is NOT the one of the prophesy." the
third voice said lightly, seeming to take some glee at the
prospect.  Of all the elders, *this* one bothered Sato the
most.  He wasn't sure just why; perhaps it was his abrasive
nature or his way of saying just the right thing to irritate
Sato when he least expected it.  In any case, Sato made a
mental note *not* to trust this third elder very far.
     "Then who is?" Sato asked starting to lean on his
staff.  Every time he met with the elders, he felt a little
older.  Today's meeting left him feeling especially old.
     A small hooded figure approached Sato holding an
ancient looking scroll in his hands.  Carefully, Sato took
the document and opened it only enough to read a few inches
of the surface at a time.  He was one of the few to actually
read the monk's scroll in 400 years.  The importance of this
was not lost on Sato.  As he fitted together the ancient
forms of Japanese/Chinese writing, it soon became clear that
there had, indeed, been an error.  It was true, Jeff
Lawrence was not the one that would open the cave.  
     Swallowing hard, Sato handed the scroll back to the
hooded figure and turned abruptly to leave.
     "You understand?" the first voice asked.
     "Hai.  I must hurry.  I fear our error has left the
correct person in much danger."  Sato hastily left the
meeting place.
     Outside, he paused with a pair of his most trusted
warriors.
     "There are times I feel very old," he said pulling out
a portable phone.  "Today is one of those days."  He quickly
dialed and listened as the connection went through.  "You
know, they just don't make elders like they used to.  Four
hundred years and we've been waiting for the wrong person."
     The two warriors exchanged confused glances and
shrugged.  They didn't have a clue.

     In a top floor board room, a small group of respectable
looking business men were having a late night meeting.  At
the head of a long conference table sat a middle aged man
who looked every bit as dangerous as he was.  Toshiro Tougo
had reached the pinnacle of the Japanese corporate world;
CEO of the largest holding company in Japan.  His
corporation held controlling interest in 27 major domestic
firms and 10 international companies.  His corporation was,
to say the least, exceedingly wealthy and powerful.  Still,
he knew the final step would be the hardest.
     "My brothers," he said in a low voice.  "The strategic
plan of our corporation is progressing on schedule."  He
paused looking past those seated on either side of the
table, his eyes fixed on the large corporate symbol hanging
on the far wall.  His eyes slowly traced the center symbols. 
To most casual observers, the symbols meant nothing
specific; just a pleasant looking design that represented
one of Japan's multinational corporations.  Even to a
trained observer, they would only have a vague meaning.  To
all present in the room, their meaning was all too clear;
Kitsune-Yuki (the symbol of the Snow Fox clan).
     "Our latest quarterly report shows our market shares
increasing at an acceptable rate.  Any faster growth would
attract undue attention from the government."  He placed his
hands flat on the table in front of him.  "Since abandoning
the old ways and joining the corporate world, we have
prospered while our 'brethren' clinging to their outmoded
past, fade away slowly.  We have incorporated the  most
important' elements of our people into this corporation and
now find ourselves on the threshold of controlling interest
in the largest corporations in Japan.  Once we control the
corporations, we can control the politicians and with them
the government.  Gentlemen, in one year, we will be in total
control of Japan."
     "There is still one problem, senpai." A younger member
said forcefully from the shadows of his seat.
     "What problem?"
     "Ronald Phillips, American, owns controlling interest
in several of the companies we need to secure." the man
leaned forward into the light and struck a harsh look at the
leader.  "We must deal with this 'problem' quickly."
     "As usual, your information is out of date." the leader
returned his challenger's hard look.  "Ronald Phillips is
dead.  We eliminated this problem 10 years ago."
     "Then how do you explain his continued controlling
interest?"
     "That interest has recently been passed on to a young
heir, another pathetic American who just compounded his
crime by marrying a Japanese girl.  Both have been targeted
for elimination.  With them out of the way, we will be able
to acquire his shares from his 'estate' with little
trouble."
     "Using our 'usual' subtle manner?"
     "There is no time for such delicacies.  As we dealt
with the Tanaka family, we will also deal with this 'Jeff
Lawrence' fellow *and* his wife, Nabiki."
     "How?" the younger shinobi executive was beginning to
annoy the leader.
     "We shall wait for the 'prophecy' to be fulfilled." the
elder executive glared at his subordinate.  "As all clans
will be present, we will wait for the cave to be opened,
kill everyone there, claim the secret for ourselves, and
reseal the cave with the bodies of the poor fools inside."
     The leader's smile would have been right at home on the
face of a cobra.  He meant to accomplish what numerous
shoguns in the past had failed to do; eliminate the command
structure of all the shinobi clans in a single stroke.  The
only remaining clan would be the one destined to rule Japan;
the Clan of The Snow Fox.

     In an abandoned apartment, in a 'low rent' area of
Nerima, a lone figure sat slumped against the corner of the
room.  Empty boxes of crackers and tins of food lay strewn
across the filthy tatami mats on the floor.  With no
electricity, the room was dimly lit by a flickering street
light outside the room's only window.
     Sodoshi Tanaka had been living in this apartment,
without permission and unbeknownst to the owner, for three
days.  Two more and she would follow her usual pattern of
moving to another location.  For two years, since abandoning
Master Sato, this has been her life.  She was discovered
only a few times by the owners or the police.  In each case,
she was able to escape using her finely honed ninja skills. 
In any case, pursuit was never very serious due to the
Japanese 'tolerant' view towards the homeless.
     She winced slightly and ran her fingers lightly over
her upper abdomen.  Because her muscles had never healed
properly, she had to be careful with physical activity.  Too
much and her body let her know, in no uncertain terms, that
such was a mistake.  The day after was always the worst. 
Sometimes the ache was so bad it would cause her to curl up
in a ball seeking relief.
     Because of her poor diet and horrible injuries to her
stomach, she frequently suffered bouts of heartburn. 
Tonight, she was experiencing the 'mother of all heartburn
attacks'; a pain that felt like her chest was on fire.  She
absently chewed a few herbs known for their ability to
settle the stomach but resigned herself to the fact their
effects would be almost an hour away.
     She thought of her clan sister, Nabiki, and how her
life had become one of a fairy tale; poor one moment and
rich beyond her wildest dreams the next.  Angrily, Sodoshi
hurled an empty cracker box across the room.
     <It's never me, is it?> she thought bitterly. <Everyone
else lives happily ever after but Sodoshi, who suffers
alone.  There's justice for you.>
     She drew up her knees to provide a place to rest her
chin.  As she did every night, after assuring her safety,
she carefully unwrapped in her mind images of happier days;
when she was younger and her family was still alive.  A
painful smile crept silently across her face as she recalled
the times with her mother; how Sodoshi worked very hard
trying to please her and how easily pleased her mother was. 
A single tear worked its way loose to crawl slowly over her
flawless cheek.  She didn't give in to such very often.  It
was a weakness she fought constantly to control.
     She remembered how her brother was always kind and
attentive to her; never teasing or taunting like other older
brothers.  He saw himself as her protector and took his role
of 'big brother' very seriously.  She recalled how happy she
was for him when he got into the prestigious Tokyo
University on his first try.  She remembered how she
struggled with jealousy when he introduced his fiance,
Emiko, to the family.  A wave of embarrassment swept over
Sodoshi as the images of her reaction to Emiko presented
themselves.  She had been unfair to the girl, who's only
'crime' was to love her brother.  Still, the younger Sodoshi
saw Emiko as a rival for her brother's attention and she
didn't like it.  
     After her parents were killed (a strange case of
simultaneous heart attacks; brought on, no doubt, by a ninja
hunt party's injected drugs), her brother moved them several
times and changed their name twice in an attempt to throw
the pursuers off.  It didn't help; Emiko still knew the
truth and wasn't as careful with her information as she
should have been.  
     Giving in to his need to be with Emiko, her brother
slipped away with his fiance to a mountain spa where they
were both found dead three days later.  It was officially
ruled a lovers' double suicide, but Sodoshi knew her brother
was not in such a frame of mind.  It could only have been
murder.
     Her mind whirled through her own ordeal; the attack and
its aftermath.  Some things she simply didn't want to
remember.  She could still hear the sound of her skin
tearing as the knife freely sliced through and it still
caused her to wake up screaming at night.  
     But the thing that gave her the most sleepless nights
was her fear of dying alone.  Her parents had each other,
when the time came, and her brother died with Emiko.  There
would be no one to help Sodoshi make the difficult
transition into the afterlife and that scared her more than
another attack by the hunters.
     As every night since returning from Hawaii, her
thoughts concluded with a single image; that of Nabiki
Tendo, standing in her wedding gown, marrying a handsome and
rich man, guaranteeing the rest of her life would be happy
and carefree.  As usual, her burning hatred for the girl who
unfairly escaped the 'blood hunt' slowly took over.  Where
there was once self pity, she now brandished hatred like a
deadly weapon.  Time and time again, her mind slashed at the
beautiful picture of Nabiki as she stood outside the church
smiling.  It usually left Sodoshi feeling relieved and
tired.  If she couldn't get to the hunters, she would see
that she wasn't alone in suffering.  Nabiki and her sisters
would *not* escape this episode in shinobi history
unscathed.
     Somehow, tonight the feeling wasn't as comforting as
usual.  Why couldn't she bring herself to hate
Nabiki with all her heart?  Why did she have to constantly
struggle with feelings of kinship for this girl?  Sodoshi
repeatedly fought the emotion to embrace her clan sister
and claim a comforting friend.  It wasn't as if she didn't
need any friends.  Besides, hating Nabiki wouldn't change 
her situation and would only cause the pain and suffering 
she was most familiar with to be spread.  It wasn't fair.  
But then, Sodoshi never considered herself an expert on what 
was or wasn't fair.
     As she did every night, her control finally yielded to
her feeling of helplessness and loneliness.  Still slumped
against the wall hugging her knees, her chest burning and
her stomach aching, Sodoshi Tanaka silently cried herself
asleep; alone.

     The next evening, Nabiki returned to the residence
exhausted from lack of sleep and vibrating with rage.  She
had been followed again.  Not by Sodoshi this time, but by a
man in a suit.  He wasn't very good at trailing, even Nabiki
could tell he was there.  But he was relentless.  Twice she
tried ducking into places for women only, emerging from a
different door.  Each time, he successfully found her and
resumed his surveillance.  She was certain that he was
either a cop or someone hired by Jeff to keep an eye on her. 
Either way, someone was going to pay for *this* intrusion.
     She found Jeff in their room rigging up a TV set for
her.  He had noticed her insomnia and felt that, perhaps,
watching a little TV at night would help her grow tired
enough to sleep.
     Right away, Jeff knew typhoon Nabiki had blown in.  It
was a force 5 gale.
     "How dare you!" Nabiki growled as she slammed the door
closed.
     "How dare I what?" Jeff protested, his hands raised in
defense. 
     "You know *exactly* what I'm talking about." she
stormed over to Jeff, her eyes blazing with anger.  "That
man following me!"
     Jeff looked sheepishly at the floor.  He had been
caught and he knew it.  "Nabiki," he started as his eyes
found her's.  "I'm sorry... It was Lt. Nakamura's idea...
You were so sure that someone was stalking you, I talked to
the police and they assigned a detective to keep an eye on
you for a few days.  Just to make sure..."
     "You had me FOLLOWED?!?" she screamed.  The lack of
sleep and stress since the honeymoon had finally pushed her
over the edge.
     "I..." Jeff never finished.  For, perhaps, the first
time in her life, Nabiki physically struck another person. 
With all the effort she could muster, she delivered a slap
that could be heard all the way down stairs.  Jeff's head
snapped to the right, his chin making contact with his
shoulder.
     For several seconds, Jeff held his position, his jaw
moving slightly as thoughts attempted their escape.  He
gently checked the inside of his cheek with his tongue and
tasted his own blood.  Slowly, his head returned to face
Nabiki.  This time, his look wasn't one of concern for his
wife but rather one of shock and betrayal.
     They stared at each other for several seconds; he
searching for reasons why and she still angry beyond
control.
     "Get out." she hissed through clenched teeth.
     Jeff blinked a few times before nodding agreement. 
Without saying a word, he crossed to the door, opened it and
looked one last time at this wife.  Her palm print burned on
his left cheek.  Shaking his head sadly, he slipped through
the door and closed it quietly.

     Downstairs, Akane and Ranma were watching TV while
Kasumi finished cleaning the kitchen.  They heard the fight,
or rather they heard Nabiki's tirade, and they heard the
slap.  Each held their breath as Jeff descended the stairs,
put on his shoes, and left the residence.
     "You think *that's* what *we* sound like?" Akane asked
as she watched Jeff leave.
     Ranma didn't answer.  Instead, he got up and stepped
out onto the engawa to see where Jeff was going.  Failing to
see him exit the gate, Ranma assumed Jeff had taken refuge
in the dojo; after all, that's where Ranma went his first
week there, after fighting with Akane.
     "He's all right." Ranma said as he resumed his place in
front of the TV.  "Just went out to the dojo."
     "Maybe, you should check on him anyway." Akane sounded
genuinely worried.  She had seen how much Jeff and Nabiki
loved each other before the wedding and felt very
uncomfortable listening to their recent fights.  She also still
had memories of how worried *she* was when Ranma was missing
back in Hawaii.  
     "Check on who, daughter?" Soun Tendo asked as he
returned from the bathroom with his inevitable newspaper.
     "Jeff, daddy.  I think he and Nabiki had a fight."
Akane replied, sounding more like 'daddy's little girl' than
usual.
     "In any case," Kasumi sighed as she started removing
her apron.  "I better check on Nabiki."
     As Kasumi left, Soun looked at his youngest daughter
with concern.  It wasn't his place to see to Jeff.  True, he
*was* the father-in-law and it *did* sound like his daughter
was doing all the fighting.  Still, he was reluctant to
inject himself into this disagreement.
     "Some times a boy just needs to be alone." Soun finally
said, sitting down at the table with his newspaper.  "I'll
give him a few minutes before checking.  That will give him
time to calm down."
     Ranma was about to say something without thinking to
Akane, again, when his thought was derailed by the sound of
old Mrs. Suzuki screaming at someone across the street.  It
sounded like the old lady was putting up a terrific fight
against an intruder.
     Like a shot, Ranma was out the door and over the wall. 
One thing he couldn't stand was people beating up on the
weak.  Eighty year old Mrs. Suzuki was about as weak a
person as he could think of in the neighborhood.

     Kasumi paused outside Nabiki's door.
     <Deja Vou.> she thought. <Haven't we done this before?>
     She knocked softly and cracked open the door just
enough to see Nabiki lying face down on her bed.  She was
obviously crying again.  With another sigh of resignation,
Kasumi opened the door all the way and called Nabiki's name
softly.
     "Oneechan..." Nabiki softly sobbed.  "I did it again."
     "So it would seem, Nab-chan." Kasumi crossed over to
sit on the queen sized bed next to her sister.  "What was it
this time?"
     "Oneechan, I hit him." Nabiki said with a tiny voice. 
"I can't believe I hit him."  She sat up and put her arms
around her sister, resting her head on Kasumi's shoulder.
     "I know.  We all heard." Kasumi was approaching this
carefully.  She knew Nabiki was different when she returned
from Hawaii, and not just because she was a married woman. 
She was more tense and irratable.  Something had happened in
Hawaii that she hadn't told anyone about.  Something bad
enought to cause Nabiki's personality to change.
     "He was just trying to protect me."  Nabiki said, her
voice sounding more rational.  "He doesn't know the whole
story."
     "Well, why don't you start by telling me." Kasumi
offered softly.  "I have a feeling it affects all of us as
well."
     Nabiki sat back, nodded slightly, took a deep breath
and began telling Kasumi everything that happened, beginning
with the meeting with Sodoshi.

     Ranma hadn't gone far when he spotted Mrs. Suzuki using
her broom to take swipes at a black clad figure on her
porch.  Two bounds and Ranma was between the old neighbor
and her adversary.  
     "Picking on old ladies now, eh ninja-san." Ranma chided
as he assumed a relaxed ready position.  "I thought you
people had a code of honor."
     "You tell  em, China-boy." Mrs. Suzuki crowed as she
readied her broom again.  She may have been old but the fire
of indignation burned in her; indignation at being attacked
on her own porch.  The spunky senior citizen was ready to
fight for her home with her last ounce of energy.  Having
Ranma here only emboldened her.
     The ninja, not caring to fight on a shaky porch against
two opponents, dropped one of his smoke bombs and jumped to
the street below.  Ranma, anticipating the move, jumped with
the ninja, landing simutaneously within striking distance of
his adversary.
     "You'll have to do better than that if you want to run
away." Ranma taunted.
     "I just needed more room, boy." the ninja said as he
drew his black katana.
     Immediately, Ranma noticed two things.  First, the
blade the ninja was weilding was not a wooden bokkan that
was more likely to bruse than kill, but a razer sharp
instrument of death; it's polished edge gleaming in the dim
light.  Second, the ninja did not wear the traditional
hachimaki with his clan crest; a sure sign of an assassin.
     Silently, the ninja launched a lightning series of
strikes and the fight was on.  Ranma easily evaded the
attacks, having sparred many times with Tatewaki Kuno but
had to admit, this guy was good; perhaps even better than
the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High.  Backing towards Mrs.
Suzuki's house, Ranma allowed the ninja to think he had him
cold.  A quick move with the next strike and the ninja's
sword was imbeded in the hard wood of the deck, inches from
Ranma's head.  Both Ranma and Mrs. Suzuki chose that moment
to strike.  Ranma kicked the blade out of his opponent's
hands while Mrs. Suzuki, from her porch above, landed a 
clean blow to the ninja's head with her broom.  As the old 
lady readied another strike, Ranma lept over the ninja and 
delivered a crushing kick to the ninja's ribs.  Mrs. Suzuki, 
yelling curses at the intruder, rained accurate blows with 
her broom.
     The ninja wasn't through yet, bouncing off the side of
the building, his hands rapidly dispensed shuriken in
Ranma's direction.  This guy was obviously an expert at his
profession but was unprepared to deal with someone as
skilled as Ranma.  Easily evading the shuriken by sound
alone, Ranma resumed the attack.  His blows were landing
with frightening frequency.
     Sensing his opponent was no simple kempo artist, the
ninja retreated down the street; constantly blocking Ranma's
attacks.  With a single leap, the ninja gained the roof of a
nearby house and set off across the roof tops; Ranma close
on his heels.

     Jeff wandered into the dojo, dejected and confused.  He
knew Nabiki was upset at more than his efforts to protect
her but was unprepared for the viciousness of her attack. 
He was distracted by thoughts of how he could make it up to
her when the attack came.
     It was only luck that his hand was on the back of his
head when the first blow arrived.  If not, the fight, and
Jeff's life, would have ended right then.  The first blow
was partially deflected by his arm and Jeff rolled across
the dojo to escape a follow-up.
     Springing to his feet and assuming his trained ninjutsu
fighting pose, Jeff caught sight of his assailant.  The
assassin was almost as big as Jeff but dressed in
traditional black.  He looked as ominous as Darth Vader. 
Jeff almost expected to see a light saber emerge as the
assassin launched his next series of attacks.
     Jeff was no trained shadow warrior but knew enough
about fighting to ward off most of the attacks.  Eight years
of training had prepared him well.  The two exchanged blows,
blocks, and counter blows quickly.  It was almost like a
Sato training session except for one thing: only the winner
would walk away from this one.
     He was doing well for so incompletely trained a
fighter, even landing a few solid blows of his own. 
However, hearing Mrs. Suzuki's screams from across the
street, he was distracted enough for his opponent to land a
kick to the side of his head.  Stunned, Jeff reeled back
towards the door.
     He tried once again to regain his fighting balance but
the assassin was too quick.  Two more blows and Jeff bounced
off the wall of the dojo, clearly injured.
     In the haze of his disorientation, Jeff heard Soun
Tendo's shout and vaguely saw the struggle.  His sensi,
finally coming to check on his young son-in-law, had
stumbled into the assassination attemptt.  Attempting to clear 
his vision, Jeff missed the ninja's shuriken attack on his sensi 
but heard Soun's grunt as the projectiles struck home.
     As Jeff tried to reenter the fight, he provided an
opening the ninja needed to end it.
     At first, he didn't really feel the blow that knocked
him hard off the wall.  It felt more like an insistent
pressure on the middle of his chest than a sharp blow. 
Still, Jeff knew something was seriously wrong when he tried
to take a breath and discovered he couldn't inhale.  
     As his head snapped back, cracking the wood of the old
dojo's wall, the pain surged forth and claimed his body. 
Collapsing in a heap, Jeff was left seated on the floor,
half reclining against the wall, his arms wrapped around his
mid section like he was trying to hold his body together. 
His breathing was erratic, his body spasming with every
effort.  His vision was blurred and tinged with red.  He was
helpless and knew it.  All that remained was for the
assassin to finish his job.
     <I'm sorry, Nabiki.> was all he could think as he
waited the final blow.
     It never came.  Silently, a black wooden staff flew
straight and true; catching the assassin aside his head and
knocking him 20 feet across the room to end up face down and
unconscious.  The cavalry had arrived.
     Quickly, the room was bathed in bright light as someone
switched on the lights.  Jeff couldn't see what was
happening or why his attacker suddenly disappeared, his
vision was growing darker by the second, but heard a
familiar voice; Master Sato.

     Barking commands, Sato directed black clad members of
his own clan to secure the dojo.  The assassin was
restrained, Soun Tendo was attended to, and Jeff was checked
by a very young female ninja.  
     Parts of Jeff's brain were beginning to shut down. 
Reality and illusion mixed and separated with disturbing
speed as events unfolded in front of his eyes.  Jeff could
still see things up close and within a narrow field.  Oddly,
his only thoughts were how beautiful the girl's eyes were.  
He tried to mouth words but found he could only manage a soft gurgle.
     The Tendo girls, attracted by the noises in the dojo,
seemed to arrive at the same time.  Akane yelled her
father's name and rushed to his side while Kasumi just stood
in the doorway, hands in front of her mouth and her face a
study in horror.
     Nabiki's entrance had all the subtlety of a low-yield
nuclear explosion.  Screaming her husband's name she rushed
to his side.  In Jeff's vision, the young ninja's face was
replaced with the panicked look of his wife's.
     Focusing all his remaining energy, Jeff was able to
slur a few words.
     "I...forgot...to duck...again, dear."  A clear
reference to both his current condition and Nabiki's earlier
blow.
     The effort was poorly rewarded as the world turned
black for Jeffery Lawrence.
     Nabiki screamed again as her husband shuddered and
collapsed in her arms, totally limp.  The female ninja
quickly checked for life signs.  A flicker of life remained
in Jeff's body but it wouldn't last long.  The assassin had
done his job well; Jeff was dying.
     Akane screamed for someone to call Dr. Tofu or an
ambulance.  Spurred out of her shock by her sister's call
for help, Kasumi quickly disappeared back towards the house.
     Nabiki shot Sato a look that should have killed the old
man.  Leaping to her feet she attacked the venerable old
shinobi master, her small fists beating against his chest as
she yelled accusation after accusation.
     "You promised, you bastard!" she sobbed as she struck
Master Sato repeatedly.  "You promised to protect him!"
     Wrapping his arms gently around the angry Nabiki, he
tried to calm her but only provoked her to greater efforts.
     "Why!?" she gripped his yukata with both hands, her
tear filled eyes burning with anger.  "Why did you let this
happen?!"
     "We...were decoyed, little one." he softly answered as
if he were explaining his failure to a superior.  "We
detected a danger from another quarter."
     "Grandfather," the female ninja said softly.  "He will
not survive until the doctor arrives unless..."  Her voice
trailed off.
     Sato and the female ninja locked eyes for several
seconds.  With a nod of agreement, the girl removed her head
covering and mask.  Her long black hair spilled out and hung
freely to her waist.  Seating herself in front of Jeff, she
removed a large amber colored amulet from a pouch and held
it carefully in front of her.
     Nabiki stopped her interrogation of Sato to watch in
horrified fascination as the girl made her preparations. 
She couldn't have been more than 13 or 14 years old.  To
call her cute would have been an understatement.  She should
have been sitting in a junior high school gossiping with her
friends and making eyes at handsome boys instead of fighting
intruders in a strange neighborhood.
     "He will live, little one." Sato said matter-of-factly.
     "How do *you* know?" Nabiki spit back.
     "Because my granddaughter just pledged her life to that
end."
     It must have been the total lack of emotion that stung
Nabiki so hard.  Whatever the girl was preparing to do, it
involved something that could carry a very high price.  With
mixed emotions and a stunned look, Nabiki released Master
Sato and slowly approached Jeff and the girl.  She could
hear the girl softly mumbling something as she slowly
lowered the amulet to almost waist level.
     "What...?" Nabiki began to ask.
     Master Sato's strong hands gently stopped Nabiki's
advance and drew her back slightly.  He said nothing but
made sure that Nabiki would not interfere.
     In seconds, the amulet began to glow, softly at first,
then brighter as the amber aura seemed to engulf the young
girl's body.  Everyone in the dojo stopped what they were
doing and watched as the glow surged forward, gently nudging
Jeff's body, like the tentacles of a sea creature, until he
too began to glow slightly.  Nabiki could see beads of sweat
begin to form on the girls pretty face.  Obviously, whatever
she was doing took great exertion.
     "Ki transfer, little one." Sato softly said as he
pulled Nabiki further away.  "My granddaughter has trained
all her young life for this.  She needs total concentration
as it is very dangerous.  The slightest miscalculation and
she will drain herself and die.  It will buy young Jeff-san
enough time for your Dr. Tofu to arrive."
     Nabiki swallowed hard and wiped the rest of her tears
away as she watched the girl straining to channel vital life
forces to her dying husband.  Silently, she prayed the girl
was strong enough and that Tofu would arrive soon.

     Ranma arrived with a satisfied look on his face.  His
appearance, numerous cuts and bruises adorned his exposed
flesh, told of the intensity of his fight but the bound,
semi-conscious ninja he shoved onto the floor of the dojo
spoke even louder of his success.  Like a proud hunter, he
presented his quarry to one of Sato's ninjas before checking
on Soun.
     "I found this one attacking Mrs. Suzuki on the west
side of the compound." he said smugly.
     "Another one?" Sato sounded surprised as he turned away
from the drama surrounding Jeff and examined the captured
assassin.  "We were pursuing one to the east."
     "Four of you?" Ranma look incredulously at the gathered
ninjas.
     "Two more of my warriors are still pursuing the
intruder." Sato said calmly.
     "Six of you to capture a single ninja?" Ranma asked
incredulously.  His solo feat impressing even himself.

     Tofu arrived and paused only briefly to take in the
scene before him.  Soun Tendo, still seated on the floor,
was holding his forearm away from his body, two throwing
stars protruding from his arm.  Had he not sacrificed his
arm, the stars would have certainly struck more vulnerable
areas.  Two black clad ninjas were bound side by side over
by the chairs stacked neatly for the wedding, their eyes
burning with hatred.  Finally, the scene of Jeff Lawrence
slumped against the wall nearest the door, a young girl
kneeling before him, both their bodies glowing bright amber.
     A quick check of Soun Tendo confirmed Tofu's
suspicions, the wounds were more painful than dangerous. 
Removing the stars, Tofu quietly bandaged the injured arm
and sent Soun, under the care of his youngest daughter, back
to the house.  It was time to check on the most seriously
injured; Jeff.
     "Hmmmm, the 'Ki Transfer' technique." Tofu said with
clinical curiosity as he approached Sato.  "I've heard of it
but have never seen it performed.  Fascinating."
     "You must act quickly, sensi." Sato warned. "My
granddaughter cannot sustain this level of transfer for very
long."
     Nodding, Tofu moved to Jeff's side and began his
examination.  Sato gently touched his granddaughter's
shoulder and she broke the transfer abruptly.  For several
seconds, she sat frozen in place, only an occasional shudder
confirming she was alright.
     With a small whimper of pain, she collapsed backwards
into her grandfather's arms.  He gently lowered her to the
floor and stroked her sweating forehead.
     "You have done well, granddaughter." Sato cooed softly. 
"You have made me very proud."
     Struggling to speak, she was able to utter only three
words: "Does...he...live?"
     "Hai, granddaughter." Sato whispered his emotions
beginning to exert themselves.  He knew she was now fighting
for her own young life.  To save Jeff, she had pushed her
skills to their limit, and beyond.  But that effort came
with a price.  Drained of her own, she desperately hung on
to what life force she had left.  Unfortunately, it was
fading as she struggled.
     Sato knew the pain his granddaughter was experiencing
and understood what had to be done.  With an anguished
smile, he reluctantly pressed lightly along the side of her
neck with his fingers and watched as the girl shuddered
again, then relaxed.
     "What have you done?" Tofu demanded as he reached for
the shinobi master's arm.
     Sato waived the doctor off with his hand.  To anyone
close, it was plain the old man was on the verge of tears.
     "She could not fight for her life while awake." he
said, his voice trembling slightly.  "I have given her a
chance."
     "You've pushed the girl into a coma." Tofu shot back.
     "From which she will battle for her life as she has
been trained, sensi." Sato shot Tofu a determined look. 
"Our ways may seem brutal to you, but we all understand from
birth what it means to be 'shinobi'.  She will win her fight
because she is my granddaughter and I trained her."  He
turned his head to look at Jeff.  "Just as young Jeff-san
*must* win his.  She risked her life for Jeff-san.  I only
hope you are good enough to reward that risk."
     "Sensi, please," Nabiki pleaded softly.  "Jeff..."
     Nodding, Tofu returned to examining Jeff.  What ever
the shinobi girl did, Jeff's vital signs were promising.  He
was unconscious but alive.  A fact that wouldn't last long
without the doctor's immediate help.
     Writing something on the pad of paper he wore on his
sash, he asked if someone would fetch the noted items from
his clinic.  Kasumi immediately stepped forward and offered
to retrieve the items.  For a few moments, Dr. Tofu and
Kasumi locked eyes.  
     Nabiki held her breath.  If Tofu regressed to his usual
babbling and idiotic actions at the sight of Kasumi, Jeff
was as good as dead.  She was just about to volunteer
herself when Tofu spoke.
     "And call Dr. Nagumo as well." he said seriously as he
turned back to his patient.  "Tell him I need his help.  He
will come."
     Tofu examined Jeff more closely, ripping open his shirt
to reveal his bare chest.
     "As I suspected, Ansatsu Tenshin, the 'assassins
blow'." he said sadly.
     "You are familiar with this?" Sato asked, still
absently stroking his granddaughter's forehead.
     Tofu shook his head.  "I've only read about such
things.  We don't see much of this any more.  That's why
I've sent for Nagumo-senpai.  He is from the old school and
has dealt with far more of the ancient forms of combat than
I have."
     "Assassins blow?"  Nabiki asked softly, her hands held
tightly together in front of her mouth.  She didn't like the
sound of that name.
     Tofu and Sato exchanged worried glances.  Both knew of
the seriousness of Jeff's injuries and each was secretly
hoping the other would be the one to explain it to Nabiki.
     "The human body is mostly water, little one." Sato
finally volunteered.  "If the blow is properly delivered,
the shock wave radiates throughout the body, damaging most
of the major organs.  Death is the usual result, leaving
only a small bruise just below the breast bone as a clue to
what happened."
     Nabiki's eyes slowly went to the small bruise now
visible on her husband's chest.  Her eyes screwed shut and
she started to shake her head.
     "There is nothing a hospital can do that we cannot do
for him here." Tofu thought out loud.  "His condition does
not require surgery and whatever other treatments he
requires Dr. Nagumo and I can administer."  He looked around
briefly.  "I think he can be moved, but only a little ways. 
Is there a room in the residence we can move him to?"
     "Put him in my...our room, sensi." Nabiki said firmly,
her eyes still shut tightly.  
     Tofu nodded and, with the help of the gathered ninjas,
carefully transported Jeff up to the room Jeff and Nabiki
had recently shared.  Others gathered up the comatose
granddaughter and gently carried her home.  The remainder
dealt with the captured assassins.
     Master Sato remained behind, alone, in the dojo for a
few minutes.  Mentally, he recreated the fight and concluded
Jeffrey had done as well as could have been expected. 
Almost as an afterthought, Sato picked up the discarded
throwing stars.  Examining them carefully, he noticed the
clan markings had been removed; a sure sign of a
planned assassination.  He carefully sniffed the blood
stained weapons before spitting on one and wiping the
residue off on a specially treated wristband.  He scowled at
the resulting marks carefully.
     "At least Tendo-sensi has a clean wound.  No poison."
He dropped the stars into his pocket and quietly left the
dojo.
     Dr. Nagumo soon arrived along with Kasumi and the
things Tofu had requested.  Nabiki, over her loud protests,
was unceremoniously escorted out of the room.  The last
thing the doctors needed was a grieving female hanging
around.
     In the hallway before the closed door to her room,
Nabiki gripped the door frame and trembled with anger.
     "It's all my fault." she mumbled.  "I shouldn't have
hit him.  It's all my fault."
     Kasumi caught her younger sister's words and tried to
comfort her.
     "NO! Oneechan." Nabiki pulled away, still glaring at
the closed door.  "I caused this to happen.  It's all my
fault."
     "You had no way of knowing..." Kasumi tried again to
comfort her sister but quickly found her to be inconsolable.
     "You don't understand.  I hit him.  I made him leave."
Nabiki was finding her control slipping again.  "If I hadn't
done that, he wouldn't have gone to the dojo.  He wouldn't
have been attacked.  It's all my fault."
     Evading her sister's attempts to help, Nabiki dashed
down the stairs and back outside.  Muttering to herself how
she was to blame and how she was being punished for striking
her husband, she wandered aimlessly until she found herself
back in the dojo.
     Drawn to the spot where her husband fell, Nabiki
slumped to the floor and looked at the small Shinto shrine
across the room.
     "Why?" she asked softly as she stared at the shrine. 
"Why must I go through this again?  Wasn't mother enough for
you?"  
     She had never been a religious person, always
associating religion with death and sadness, but she needed
some answers and that thin thread of whatever religious
beliefs she might have buried deep in her soul so long ago,
was the only source of comfort she had at her disposal.  
     For the second time in her life, she was faced with
losing someone she loved.  She remembered how, after her
mother died, she had promised herself to never let this
happen to her again; how she insulated herself emotionally
from everyone so as to not be vulnerable to this kind of
pain.
     That worked well until she met Jeff.  He was everything
she had dreamed of; strong, good looking, smart, caring,
considerate,... and rich.  In spite of her pledge to the
contrary, she fell in love.
     <Love.> she bitterly rolled the word around in her
mind.  The very taste of it made her ill.  <I was right the
first time; love is for dreamers like Kasumi.  Better to be
rich and hated.>
     "Well, well, well.  What have we here?"  Came a voice
from across the room.  Nabiki knew that voice and cringed at
the sound of it.
     "Go away, Sodoshi!" Nabiki tried to say with authority.
     "Oh, no, clan sister.  I promised to be here when you
hurt.  I'm just here to share your pain."  Sodoshi taunted. 
True to her word, she was watching as Nabiki's husband was
beaten almost to death.  She was still watching as Nabiki
grieved.
     "Sodoshi...please." Nabiki almost whimpered the last
word.  "Why are you doing this?"
     "I told you, clan sister," Sodoshi advanced slowly.  "I
want to see you suffer as much as I did.  Oh, look..." she
stopped at Soun's blood stains on the dojo floor.  "It would
seem they got your dear father too.  So sad."
     Nabiki looked at Sodoshi's face.  She saw the painful
smirk and sad eyes.  Her inner voice was telling her that
Sodoshi might be taunting her but was not enjoying a single
second of it.  Nabiki's head was clear enough to form a
plan.  She would use the one weapon she had at her disposal
that no one would ever expect from her.
     "Sodoshi, I don't hate you." Nabiki said clearly as she
pushed herself upright.  "I will never hate you.  You are my
clan sister.  I could no more hate you than Kasumi or
Akane."
     Sodoshi acted as if she had just been struck a vicious
blow.  After all she had done.  After all she had said. 
Nabiki *still* refused to hate her.  This was more than she
expected.
     "Perhaps, I should let you feel some of the physical
pain as well." Sodoshi said advancing menacingly.
     "Perhaps you should try." came a voice from the
doorway.
     Sodoshi instantly dropped into a ninjutsu fighting
stance, surprised and on guard.
     Ranma Saotome, leaning against the door frame, his arms
crossed, almost yawned at the shinobi warrior's aggressive
pose.
     "First it was an old lady.  Then you attacked a
pathetic martial artist like Jeff Lawrence.  Finally, you
attacked my future father-in-law." Ranma detailed his
charges against the shinobi clans.  "Now, you threaten a
defenseless girl.  I thought you people had honor. 
Obviously, I was mistaken."  
     Sodoshi had nothing to do with the attacks in the dojo
but finding herself faced with an aggressive younger
opponent...well, she wasn't going to be threatened by a mere
boy.
     Without warning, Sodoshi launched her attack on Ranma. 
Having already faced one of the best assassins the Clan of
the Snow Fox had to offer, Sodoshi Tanaka was only a
continuation of the last opponent.
     The fight covered most of the dojo's free space. 
Sodoshi attacking and Ranma easily blocking or evading
everything she could throw at him.
     <I can't believe this!> she thought. <It's like he can
read all my moves.  I've thrown everything I know at him and
haven't connected solidly once!>
     "What is wrong with you?!" she yelled at one of the
pausing points in the fight.  "Why won't you attack?"
     "I don't fight girls." Ranma said flatly.
     "GIRL?!?" Sodoshi screamed.  "I'm a warrior of the Clan
of The Cold Moon!"
     "Whatever..."  Ranma almost sounded bored.  "You're
still a girl."
     "I have no such restrictions." came a voice from the
door.  It was Akane, dressed for a fight and glowing with
anger.
     Sodoshi looked from Ranma to Akane to Nabiki before
addressing her clan sister.  "Is *children* all you have to
offer?"
     "Children is all our clan has left, Sodoshi." Nabiki
answered softly; looking more through Sodoshi than at her. 
"Look carefully, like it or not, they are our future."
     "Our future." Sodoshi growled with disdain.
     Ranma, knowing just how good Sodoshi was, started to
block Akane's advance but quickly changed his mind when he
saw the look in her eyes and the glow of her anger.  Wisely,
he chose to join her instead of resisting.
     Sodoshi could tell Akane was no real threat to her. 
But feared the possibilities should she join with Ranma. 
With a sly smile, Sodoshi used her smoke shells to fill the
dojo with a blinding fog.  Ranma, fearing a strike through
the smoke moved to protect his fiance.  Good thing too, as
he moved, he could feel the air displacement of the ninja's
escape attempt; right through the place where he last stood.
     The three were startled to hear a choked scream from
the dojo's doorway.  Sodoshi's escape failed to go totally
unobserved.  As the smoke cleared, Ranma was the first to
see Master Sato holding the female ninja by her throat,
pinned to the door frame.  Her reasons for not struggling
was evident by how Sato was holding her; a vice-like grip
with his thumb poised over her jugular vein.  A single move
by the master and she would have died.
     "I hate to interrupt you children at play like this,"
he said flatly.  "But I must speak with Nabiki."
     Slowly, Nabiki got to her feet and approached the
shinobi master.  Akane and Ranma, still recovering from the
effects of Sodoshi's smoke bombs, wandered over as well.
     "Little one, there has been a mistake made in the
prophecy."  It was amazing how calm he sounded holding a
girl off the floor, pinned to the door frame with one hand. 
"It would appear that your husband is *not* the one of the
prophecy.  You are the one who must open the cave."
     "What?" Nabiki sounded dazed by the pronouncement.
     "Look you..." Ranma started but was reined in by Akane.
     <I can take this old goat.> Ranma thought bitterly.  He
had about had all the ninjas he could stand for one
lifetime.
     "Age and treachery will *always* overcome youth and
skill."  Obviously, Master Sato was able to  read' Ranma's
more overt emotions.  The invitation was clear; don't mess
with the 'master' least you suffer the consequences.
     Akane quickly moved between Ranma and Sato.  She wasn't
going to let 'that jerk, Ranma' make an enemy out of a
potential friend.  This was family business.  If Nabiki was
involved, then it concerned Akane as well.
     "Little one, you must come with me immediately." Sato
said without taking his eyes off of Ranma.  "We *must* be at
the cave at moon rise tomorrow night.  It is the cold moon
we have expected."
     Nabiki's gaze went from the master to Sodoshi and back
again.  Looking down at the floor and pursing her lips,
Nabiki coldly evaluated her position.  If this were a
business deal, she would consider herself in a very
advantageous position.  Everything hinged on her decisions.
     "Very well, Master Sato," she said while still looking
at the floor.  "I am ready to leave under one condition."
     All eyes were on Nabiki now.  Nabiki, however, was
looking at only one person; Sodoshi Tanaka.
     "You can release her, Master Sato." Nabiki crossed her
arms and watched as her clan sister was lowered to the
ground, rubbing her throat and eyeing the assembly
suspiciously.  "Sodoshi, I haven't known of my heritage very
long, but I have learned a few things about the shinobi from
Jeff.  Most importantly, I've learned that the clans can
only exist so long as its members remain loyal to each
other."  She paused.  She and Sodoshi were looking seriously
at each other now.  "Sodoshi, you can do whatever you want. 
But I will *never* hate you.  You and I are clan sisters and
I will *always* honor a clan sister.  If I am to open the
cave in the name of our clan, I will do so but only with you
there."
     Akane moved next to her sister and looked at Sodoshi
with a frown.  She was sure Sodoshi had something to do with
the recent attack on her father but if Nabiki was going to
unconditionally accept Sodoshi as a clan sister, then she
would swallow her objections and stand with her sister. 
However, that didn't mean she had to like it.
     Nabiki sensed Akane's reluctance and turned to her
younger sister.  There was much she had not told either of
her sisters about their clan relationship; much they had a
right to know.
     For the first time in her life, Nabiki placed her had
lovingly on her sister's shoulder.  For several seconds, she
searched for the right words.
     "Simply tell her the truth, little one," Sato smiled. 
"But be quick, we need to leave."
     Nabiki pulled her sister aside, Ranma following at a
discrete distance but within earshot, and told her all about
their mother, the Clan of the Cold Moon, the prophecy, and
Jeff.
     In the mean time, Master Sato and Sodoshi were squaring
things between themselves.
     "I sense great hatred in you, child," Sato said in his
aggravating condescending voice.  "It is poorly directed,
you know."
     "Your kind killed my family," Sodoshi accused while
still rubbing her throat.  "What reaction would you expect?"
     "The 'blood hunts' have been over for more than 50
years." Sato narrowed his eyes as he looked at Sodoshi.
     "Then why have I been singled out, pursued, attacked?"
she hissed, her anger rising again.
     "One clan refused to even discuss ending the hunts. 
They are a corporate entity now.  A dangerous corporate
entity.  Still, we have penetrated their computer network
and did a little 'reconnaissance'."
     "I thought you were simple mountain people."
     "Child, the shinobi are everywhere.  We have college
graduates from places like Tokyo University, Harvard, and
Cambridge.  We even have members who graduated from MIT in
America.  They may not still live with us but when we call
for their help, they are bound by their heritage to respond. 
Cracking a computer network was childs play."  Sato crossed
his arms and looked almost smugly satisfied.
     Sodoshi scowled at the floor as she absorbed all Sato
had said. <One clan.> she thought. <It all comes down to one
clan.>
     "Quite so, child." Sato was reading Sodoshi like a
book.  "And I think I have the answer to why you and your
family have been singled out."
     Sodoshi's head shot up as she glared at the shinobi
master.
     "Tell me." she growled, her hatred approaching the
boiling point.
     "In due time, child." Sato was walking a fine line.  If
he told Sodoshi everything he knew, she would be off on a
one-ninja killing spree; out of control and lost forever. 
No, that would spoil all Master Sato's plans and lose
Sodoshi as well.  He failed her once.  That mistake would
not be repeated.  Whatever the outcome of the prophecy, he
wanted Sodoshi to be able return to a normal life.  To do
that, he needed her cooperation and the help of Jeff and
Nabiki.  "We, too, have reasons to punish these renegades. 
We will deal with them soon in an appropriate manner."
     The return of the Tendo sisters aborted the rest of
their conversation.
     "I am ready to leave now." Nabiki said flatly.
     "WE are ready to leave." Akane corrected.
     Ranma immediately did the predictable thing and
injected himself into the equation.
     "No!  If what Nabiki says is true, it's too dangerous
for you to go." he turned to Sato.  "I'll go in her place."
     "Ranma, you jerk!" Akane was clearly irritated by her
fiance's macho act.  "This is *my* family's business.  It
doesn't concern you."
     "It does if you're involved." Ranma shot back.  "This
cave opening thing is no place for a girl."
     "WHAT?!?" Sodoshi shouted.
     "Excuse me?" Nabiki added.
     From there the  discussion' evolved into a full blown
argument; Ranma versus three highly indignant girls.  It was
clear he wasn't going to win this one.
     <Why me?> Sato sighed, rolling his eyes as the argument
got louder.
     "CHILDREN!!!!!!"  He yelled.
     The room became instantly quiet.
     "Thank you." he began.  "You are all welcome as members
of your clan."  He shifted his gaze to Ranma.  "Even the
Chinese boy."
     "I'm *not* Chinese!" Ranma shot back.  "I'm Japanese!"
     "You need a haircut too." Sato turned to leave.
     "I..." Ranma's protest was cut off by Akane's
snickering.  He immediately turned to her and accused:
"Tomboy!"
     "Pervert!"
     "Klutz!"
     "Jerk!"
     The happy couple wandered back to the house, trading
insults as they went.
     Sodoshi and Nabiki watched them from the steps of the
dojo.
     "Clan sister, I doubt I will *ever* get used to that
boy." Sodoshi finally admitted.
     "Oh, I don't know.  He kinda grows on you, after a
while."  Nabiki replied as she leaned against the door
frame.  "Still, he's good to have in a fight."
     "He *is* quite good; in an undisciplined way."
     "Well, you can work on him later.  Right now we have to
go open a cave."  Nabiki started down the walk towards her
home.
     "If his fiance doesn't kill him first."
     "You can have a lot of fun with them if you know how."
Nabiki put her hand on Sodoshi's shoulder.  Sodoshi didn't
resist.  "I'll show you how later."
     Somewhere in Sodoshi Tanaka, a little girl awoke and
smiled at the prospect of sharing something with someone
once again.  She was beginning to like this Nabiki Tendo or
Lawrence or whatever she wanted to call herself.  She was a
clan sister.  Perhaps that was enough after all.
     At the door to her house, Nabiki sent Sodoshi off to
the kitchen to ask Kasumi for enough food for their journey
while she quietly went upstairs.  She had one more stop to
make before leaving.
     The door to her room was partially open.  As she
approached, she noticed how someone, in their haste to move
her husband, had knocked the wooden duck with her name on it
crooked.  Instinctively, she reached to straighten it but
stopped just short.  This was a symbol of her youth, her
childhood, with all the unpleasant memories that went with
it.  Inside, lay her future; her critically injured husband. 
This room was no longer hers alone.  It was now 'theirs'. 
Gently, she removed the nameplate and opened the door.
     Inside, she could see Dr. Tofu sitting in her desk
chair next to the bed, leaning forward, his chin resting on
his folded hands.  He was just staring at Jeff without
expression.  That was not a good sign.
     "Is he..." she started but stopped when she saw Jeff's
face.  He looked so peaceful laying there.  Almost like...
     "We've done everything we could.  It's now up to him." 
Tofu said softly.  "He's in a coma now.  If he wakes up,
he'll be alright."
     "And if he doesn't?" Nabiki almost choked when she
asked that.  She already knew the answer.
     Tofu just shook his head before turning to look at
Nabiki.
     "I'll stay with him until we know something for sure."
Tofu said with a worried look.  "The next 24 hours will
tell."
     "Can I have a few moments with him?"
     "Sure.  I'll go see Kasumi about some tea." he said
stretching as he stood up. "But I don't think he can hear
you."
     "That's all right." she answered softly.  "I can hear
me."
     Tofu left the room, closing the door silently behind
him.  For several seconds, Nabiki just stood looking down at
her comatose husband.
     "I have to leave now." she started like she was having
a normal conversation with Jeff.  "Those *elders* of yours
screwed everything up.  It seems *I'm* the one of the
prophecy."  She chuckled nervously.  "Imagine, me, Nabiki
Tendo-Lawrence, the one everyone has been waiting 400 years
for."  She tried to chuckle again, but choked on another
emotion instead.  She looked carefully at her husband's
face; like she was seeing it for the last time.  "I'm sorry
I hit you, Jeff.  I know you were just trying to look out
for me.  I know I haven't been a very good wife so far..." 
She paused again, her expression turning hard.  "Damn it,
Jeff!  Why am I always apologizing to you?"  She started
pacing back and forth next to the bed, fighting tears as she
went.  "Do you have any idea what you've put me through?  Do
you know what I'm going through now?!"  Her hands
instinctively balled into fists.  "Damn you, Jeff Lawrence! 
Don't you *dare* die on me!"  Nabiki dropped to her knees
next to the bed.  "First mother, now you.  I *won't* go
through that again!  I won't!"  Her face became a mask of
anger mixed with fear.  "After mother...I swore I would
*never* let anyone get close enough to me to..."  She closed
her eyes and sniffed back tears again.  "Then *you* came
into my life.  A gaijin... an outsider like me... someone
who treated me like I wanted to be..."  She choked and
paused trying to gather herself.  "All I ever really wanted
was to be treated like a... well, like a..."  She lost the
words but felt sure Jeff understood; even in a coma. 
Gently, she took his limp hand and caressed it.  Casting a
quick glance over her shoulder, she leaned over and gently
kissed Jeff's lips.  A single tear fell on his cheek and
rolled slowly to the pillow.
     It was time to go.  Placing his hand back on the bed,
Nabiki stood up, paused looking at his face for a few
moments more, then turned to leave.  At the door, she
stopped and looked back.
     "Please don't die, Jeff-chan.  I look terrible in
black."  She tried to smile again but was only able to make
a painful grimace.
     As she slipped silently through the door, Master Sato's
words were still echoing through her head: <You cannot avoid
destiny, little one.  You were destined to wed young Jeffrey
and fulfill the prophecy.>
     Without a word, she passed Dr. Tofu as he returned with
his tea.  He paused, watching her leave, knowing there were
no words he could use that would sooth her.  It was times
like these he almost regretted becoming a doctor.  He hated
dealing with the family of dying patients.  And this family
was like his own.
     <I'll keep him alive for you, Nabiki.> he vowed to
himself. <I don't know how, but I won't let him die.  You
and your sisters have been through enough.  This one's
become personal.>
     Tofu entered the room and resumed his seat next to the
bed, sipping tea and watching his patient.  He heard the
door open again but continued to watch Jeff.  Whoever it
was, his patient was more important.
     "I've brought you something to eat, sensi," came
Kasumi's melodiously soft voice.  He felt the usual
giddiness at her presence begin to well up but the sight of
a patient fighting for his life, quickly washed it from him.
     "Thank you, Kasumi."  His voice was soft and distant.
     "You should rest, sensi." Kasumi set the tray on
Nabiki's desk and stood behind the doctor.  "You need your
sleep."
     "Not while the issue is in doubt." Tofu swallowed hard. 
Being close to Kasumi put an added strain on him in addition
to that of a comatose patient.  He longed to hear her voice,
even if that sound pushed him into becoming a babbling
idiot.  He hated that feeling but it was worth it just to be
close to her.  But this was not the time nor the place to
let his guard down.  Employing his own martial arts training
and discipline, he found a way of controlling his emotions;
remaining rational even with her in the room.
     Without another word, Kasumi went to the closet and
pulled out a spare futon.  With grim determination, she
arranged a place near the bed to spread out the sleeping pad
and went about preparing a bed for her Tofu.
     Tofu kept stealing glances at Kasumi as she
industriously arranged pillow and blankets.  She wasn't
wearing her usual apron that made her look so 'domestic'. 
He swallowed hard as he watched her maturing body move in
practiced ways as she worked.  How he wanted to go over to
her, take her in his arms, hold her and...  He shook his
head hard to clear the thoughts from him.
     <What am I doing?> he chastised himself. <I'm a doctor
with a patient that needs me.  I've no time for such
thoughts.> Still, the sight of his secret love's efforts was
almost enough to cause him to lose his emotional grip.
     "There." Kasumi said with a satisfied smile.  Turning
to Tofu, she smiled again.  "You lay down here and get some
sleep.  I'll sit up and watch Jeff for you."
     "But..." Tofu tried to protest.
     "If anything happens, I'll wake you immediately." she
sounded serious and firm.  He liked that.  "Besides, you
don't want to be too tired to do the right thing should your
patient need you.  Now lay down and get some sleep."
     Tofu smiled embarrassedly and nodded.  She was right,
of course.  If he tried to stay awake all night and Jeff
suddenly needed him, he would be too tired to think clearly
and could make a mistake; possibly a tragic one.  With a
sigh, he set his tea on the desk, pulled off his yukata,
handed it to Kasumi and crawled tiredly into his bed.  It
felt so good, he almost didn't notice Kasumi carefully
tucking him in, placing his folded yukata on the floor next
to him.
     Kasumi finished and looked at him for several seconds. 
When his tired eyes met hers, she smiled softly.
     "Kasumi..." he started with a low voice.
     "Shhhhh. Sleep." she gently replied with a final tuck
to his covers.
     "Thank you."
     Kasumi just nodded, paused, then went to sit in the
chair.  For several minutes, until sleep finally overcame
the doctor, he watched Kasumi as she sat patiently watching
Jeff breathe.
     Kasumi relished the few quiet times she could get. 
Often she used them to think back to happier times, when she
could enjoy the carefree life of a child.  But tonight, her
thoughts were of the future, not the past.  More
specifically, her future.  Nabiki was taken care of, she had
every confidence that Jeff would live, and the two of them
would move away; possibly back to America.  Akane was
destined to marry Ranma and would take over as head of the
house.  That would leave Kasumi free to pursue her own life. 
     <So many directions.  So many possibilities.> she
thought. <Yes, mother.  You were right.  My time *is*
coming.> She looked at the sleeping Dr. Tofu. <Yes, he would
be a good husband.  If only I could get him to ask.  I know,
mother, you have promised he would and the time is not yet
right.  I always was a little bit impatient, you know that.>
     Kasumi looked out the window at the starry sky and
smiled.  It was all as her mother said it would be.